NGO catches Ajay Devgn smoking in public (With Images)
May 19th, 2010 - 11:44 pm ICT by IANS
Panaji, May 19 (IANS) A tobacco watchdog organisation Wednesday asked the health authorities to fine Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn for smoking in public while on the sets of his film “Golmaal 3″ in Goa.
In a complaint to the state tobacco control cell and the union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) general secretary Shekhar Salkar has said that Devgn, who was fined once for smoking in public in Chandigarh, deserved more stringent action as he was becoming a habitual offender of the ‘no smoking in public’ rule.
“This being the second violation by Ajay Devgn, we feel that the punishment given to such type of habitual law breakers is too meagre. In view of this, we strongly feel that the penalty under section 4 of the COPTA (Control of Tobacco Products Act) law for both one who violates the law and one who allows violating the law should be increased,” Salkar said.
Local newspaper flashed photographs of Devgn smoking on the sets of “Golmaal 3″ Tuesday with the film’s director Rohit Shetty standing an arm’s length away.
The general secretary of NOTE, which has in the past dragged Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to court for directly or indirectly promoting smoking, has also said that habitual violators of the COPTA law should be jailed.
“Fine for the first offence should be Rs.500, for the second it should be raised to Rs.5,000 and for the third offence an imprisonment for a period of 6 months, in addition to a fine of Rs.5,000 should be imposed,” Salkar said.
Devgn is the third Bollywood actor to be caught smoking in Goa this month.
Earlier this month, actors Tusshar Kapoor and Arshad Warsi were hauled up by NOTE for smoking during a film shoot in Margao, 35 km from here.
- Devgn was smoking in prohibited area, Goa officials insist - Sep 08, 2010
- Warsi gets dose of Gandhigiri for smoking in public - May 08, 2010
- Oops! Ajay smoked in public again! - May 21, 2010
- NGO demands ban on sale of single cigarettes - Mar 04, 2011
- Anti-tobacco group fumes over Aishwarya's cigarette act - Nov 16, 2010
- Arshad, Tusshar smoke in college campus, NGO complains (With Images) - Apr 28, 2010
- Ajay Devgn fined for smoking in public in Goa - Sep 01, 2010
- Ajay Devgn To Pay Fine For Public Smoking - Sep 02, 2010
- Whistleblower blames Goa government of victimisation - Apr 15, 2011
- Ajay Devgn to attend IFFI opening ceremony - Nov 21, 2010
- Actor Arshad Warsi will not smoke in public again - May 11, 2010
- Ranbir Kapoor pleads guilty in smoking case - Jul 26, 2012
- Want to do dad's 'Caravan' or 'Farz': Tusshar - Jun 28, 2012
- Complaint against Gilani's pilots for smoking in public - Mar 31, 2011
- NGO objects to violation of smoking laws in Goa festival - Dec 23, 2009
Tags: amitabh bachchan, arshad warsi, first offence, habitual offender, habitual violators, health authorities, law breakers, ministry of health and family welfare, national organisation, shah rukh khan, shekhar, smoking in public, state tobacco, stringent action, tobacco control, tobacco eradication, tobacco products act, tusshar kapoor, union ministry, violating the law