• March 28, 2024

No receipts for smoking fines

Some police officers in the Indian city of Bengaluru are being ‘over-zealous’ in enforcing a ban on tobacco smoking in public places, according to a story in the Deccan Chronicle.

The paper said there had been complaints that some people had been made to pay Rs500, more than twice the Rs200 stipulated under the law.

There had been reports, too, of failures on the part of the police to issue receipts when imposing on-the-spot fines.

And some smokers said that when they had asked for receipts they had been invited to the police station to collect them.

In one incident, a group of college students each paid Rs200 without getting a receipt after two constables took their pictures and threatened to give the pictures to the students’ parents.

In all incidents, the people had been smoking where tobacco smoking was banned.

A senior police officer was quoted as telling the Chronicle that his force had not received any complaints.

If a complaint were received, the force would take the necessary action, he added.