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ITC, hoteliers appeal against smoking ban 

ITC and Indian Hotels Association have moved the Delhi high court challenging the Union government's notification that bans smoking in "public places", including hotels and restaurants, from October 2.

They have argued that the notification makes no distinction between private space and public space.

On Wednesday, ITC fielded senior advocate Soli Sorabjee, who argued that the rule was unjustified as it included private offices like a lawyer's chamber or an artist's studio. "Private office cannot be called a public place as these are not accessible to the general public," Sorabjee told the court.

Sorabjee told the bench headed by Justice Vikramjit Sen that the government had no power to take such a decision as the act under which the notification was issued had already been stayed by the Madras high court.

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