Summary:
CHENNAI: The Madras high court on Tuesday passed an interim order staying online sale of firecrackers till November 15.Justice S Vaidyanathan passed the order while admitting a PIL moved by M Shaik Abdullah, a resident of Chennai seeking to prohibit retail sale of firecrackers through online mode. The court ordered notice to deputy chief comptroller of explosives, Chennai police commissioner and Chennai Corporation commissioner.According to the petitioner, he has been into the business of selling of firecrackers for the past 15 years after obtaining necessary licences under the Explosives Act.Claiming that recently sale of firecrackers online had increased, the petitioner alleged that all such sale on numerous websites were illegal as they didn’t have valid licence to sell firecrackers.While there is a restriction for sellers like him to sell only indigenous firecrackers, such restrictions were not imposed on online sales and that the comptroller of explosives had failed to issue a prohibitory order against such online sales.He further pointed out that the inaction of the authorities had led to sale of banned Chinese firecrackers online..