Karnataka Health Dept. orders immediate ban on trade, consumption of hookah products
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department on Wednesday issued orders placing a ban on the sale, consumption, advertisement, promotion, collection and trade of all types of hookah products in the state with immediate effect.
According to the department’s release, the ban extends to all hookah products, including tobacco or nicotine-containing hookah, non-nicotine variants, tobacco-free options, flavored and unflavored varieties, molasses, shisha, and similar products under different names.
The order directs action to be taken against violators under various regulations, including Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA)-2003, Child Care and Protection Act, 2015, Food Safety and Quality Act-2006, Karnataka Poisons (Possession and Sale) Rules 2015 and Indian Penal Code and Fire Control and Fire Safety Act.
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Highlighting the consumption of hookah in hotels, bars, and restaurants poses a risk to the safety of food items for public consumption and may have adverse effects on public health, the Department of Health and Family Welfare stated that, in accordance with Article 47 of the Constitution, it is the duty of the state government to protect public health. Subsequently the department ordered the ban in the interest of the people.
COTPA 2003 ಕಾಯ್ದೆ ಹಾಗೂ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಆರೈಕೆ ಮತ್ತು ರಕ್ಷಣೆ ಕಾಯ್ದೆ 2015 ಅಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ, ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಬಗ್ಗೆಯ ಹುಕ್ಕಾ ಉತ್ಪನ್ನಗಳ ಮಾರಾಟ, ಸೇವನೆ, ಜಾಹೀರಾತು, ಸೇವಿಸಲು ಪ್ರಚೋದನೆ, ಸಂಗ್ರಹಣೆ ನಿಷೇಧಿಸಿ ಆದೇಶ ಹೊರಡಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ.
— K'taka Health Dept (@DHFWKA) February 7, 2024
ಉಲಂಘನೆ ಮಾಡಿದವರ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಕಾನೂನಿನ ಪ್ರಕಾರ ಕಠಿಣ ಕ್ರಮ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಲಾಗುವುದು.#HookahBan pic.twitter.com/8JtRmSr3Dv
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Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
