Thousands of paan shop owners from across Maharashtra gathered at Azad Maidan on Tuesday as the Maharashtra Pan Vyapari Mahasangh staged a protest against the alleged use of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) and Section 123 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against traders accused of selling banned tobacco products.

Key demands

The association, which claims to represent over seven lakh traders, said those involved in illegal activities should be punished, but ordinary retailers should not be booked under laws meant for organised crime syndicates. Protesters travelled from Ahilyanagar, Nashik, Jalgaon, Pune, Kolhapur, and parts of Vidarbha.