Srinagar: Police on Sunday booked a female tourist under the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) for smoking in a public place in Srinagar a few days ago.
Picture of a female tourist enjoying ‘Shisha’ (hubble-bubble) amid snowfall at Lal Chowk a few days ago have gone viral, sparking anger among netizens on social media platforms.
A police official at Police Station Kothibagh while talking to ‘Kashmir Images’ confirmed that a female tourist whose picture enjoying ‘Shisha’ amid snowfall at Lal Chowk went viral a couple of days ago has been booked under relevant section of COTPA.
He also said since smoking in public place is a crime under COTPA-2003, anyone who is caught smoking in public place in Srinagar henceforth will be booked under relevant sections of law.
“Yes a female tourist was booked under COTPA, anyone who is caught smoking in public places from today onwards will be booked under COTPA. We request people to avoid smoking in public places so as to avoid action warranted under law,” he told ‘Kashmir Images’.
The official also said that a tourist who was found ‘boozing’ at Regal Chowk last week has not been traced yet. He said the police could not act as no one informed them about the act well on time.
“Instead of capturing video and posting the same on social media, the person should have informed us so that the tourist who was consuming alcohol would have been arrested at the same time. We have not been able to trace him as of now,” he added.
