Nagpur: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court alleging that the quick commerce platform Zepto is illegally selling banned pan masala and gutkha products in Maharashtra. The petition claims that despite a state-wide ban, such harmful substances are still being delivered through the app, which promises delivery within 10 minutes.

The PIL was filed by Rohan Jaiswal, via Adv Yohan Chaugule and was heard by the division bench comprising Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Sachin Deshmukh. Taking serious note of the issue, the High Court has issued notices to the State Government, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nagpur District Collector, and Commissioner of Police, directing them to submit a clarification within a week.

According to the petition, the FDA had first banned the sale of ‘Rajni Gandha’ pan masala in Maharashtra on July 19, 2012, considering it harmful to public health. Later, on July 12, 2024, the FDA reissued a circular extending the ban to all types of pan masala products across the state. Despite these bans, Zepto is allegedly facilitating the sale and delivery of pan masala illegally.

The petitioner also revealed that an official complaint was made to Zepto, questioning how such sales were permitted despite the ban. A Right to Information (RTI) application was also filed with the FDA seeking clarification on whether Zepto had obtained any license to sell pan masala online in Maharashtra. However, no satisfactory response was received, leading to the filing of the PIL.

The petitioner has demanded immediate cessation of illegal pan masala sales through the Zepto platform and sought criminal action against those responsible for violating the law. The court has directed the respondents to present their stand and has scheduled a further hearing after the submission of the required clarifications.