Punjab & Haryana High Court Directs State to Address Allegations of Blinkit Delivering Cigarettes to Minors

New Delhi: In response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed seeking to prohibit minors’ access to tobacco products via online platforms, the Punjab & Haryana High Court has directed state authorities to take corrective measures if allegations that Blinkit is delivering cigarettes to minors within minutes are verified. Acting Chief Justice G.S Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji, while issuing notice to Union and State Government authorities, emphasized the importance of addressing such concerns promptly.

Tejaswin Raj, a 15-year-old class X student, brought attention to the alarming prevalence of smoking and vaping among school students, attributing it to the easy accessibility of tobacco products online. Despite existing legislations such as ‘The Cigarettes And Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition Of Advertisement And Regulation Of Trade And Commerce, Production, Supply And Distribution) Act, 2003’ and ‘The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019’, the petitioner highlighted the blatant consumption of tobacco products, particularly electronic cigarettes, among youth in the Tricity region.

Raj’s plea underscored the ease with which tobacco products can be procured online, exemplified by his own experience of ordering cigarettes from Blinkit and receiving them within 9 minutes without any age verification. In light of these revelations, the plea also advocates for the establishment of a monitoring committee supervised by a panel of three retired High Court judges to eradicate the illicit trade and unauthorized sale of tobacco items online.