BENGALURU: Popular fine dining restaurant Shiro in UB City was fined Rs 15,000 after some customers were found smoking in the restaurant in violation of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (KMC) Act and Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, on Sunday evening.
The violation took place late morning during brunch, when customers were found smoking in an area where they were not supposed to light up.
By evening, a team of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials visited the restaurant and issued a memo, suspending its licence pending “corrective measures” and levied a penalty of Rs 15,000, which was duly paid.
The incident was in violation of COTPA Section 4, which states that “No person shall smoke in any public space...provided that in a hotel having thirty rooms or a restaurant having seating capacity of thirty persons or more and in the airports, a separate provision for smoking area or space may be made.”
While the Act mandates a zone for smoking, there is a separate law which states that smoking should not be allowed where food and drinks are served. BBMP officials said they were presented photographic evidence, showing violation of Karnataka Prohibition of Smoking & Protection of Health of Non-Smokers Act.
It was later learnt that Shiro was allowed to remain open on payment of the fine to cater to the weekend crowd.