32 booked at IFFI venue for smoking
Panaji police have booked 32 people for smoking at the venue of ongoing International film festival of India (IFFI) here.
Inspector Sandesh Chodankar said that the offenders were found puffing cigarette at Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) premises where festival is being held.
All the offenders were booked under Control of Tobacco Product Act (COPTA) and fined, he said.
Chodankar said few of the offenders, including a jury member, who were caught on camera by local media were yet to be tracked.
"We are yet to track them. Once we identify them, we will be issuing them challans," the Inspector said.
IFFI which was flagged off on November 22 has more than 8,000 participants in it.
The state government's health ministry has already sensitised the police officials on violation of COPTA at IFFI venues.
The plain cloth policemen are keeping vigil round the clock in the premises. Anti tobacco NGO National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) had appealed the state government to strictly implement COPTA in the IFFI premises.
