Pune Rural Police Crack Down on Illegal Paan Shops in Lonavala and Maval Taluka
Lonavala, 1st March 2025: In a major operation led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Satyasai Karthik, Pune Rural Police conducted raids on several paan shops in Lonavala and other parts of Maval Taluka. The crackdown came after IPS Karthik received confidential information about the open sale of tobacco-infused pans and other products to underage students from schools and colleges.
Multiple arrests were made during the operation, targeting paan shop owners and operators who were allegedly selling illegal tobacco products. Among those apprehended were Prem Jadhav (19) of Chaitanya Paan Shop, Naresh Suryawanshi (45) of Naresh Paan Shop, Vinayak Dahibhate (28) of Sairatan Paan Shop, Nikhil Azankar (24) of Mahalaxmi Paan Shop, and Rahul Shelar (21) of Pailwan Paan Shop.
The police seized illegal items that were being mixed into paan, a traditional Indian post-meal dessert. These seized items have been sent to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Pune for further investigation. Authorities will take appropriate action against the shop owners and operators once the FDA report is received.
ASP Karthik emphasized that paan shops must follow regulations, including not selling tobacco products to individuals under 18 years of age. He also advised that pan shops should install CCTV cameras and noted that tobacco sales are prohibited within a 100-meter radius of schools and colleges.
