These are the common laws that you may be inadvertently breaking in India

Advertisement
These are the common laws that you may be inadvertently breaking in India
  • You may be breaking some laws without knowing they exist.
  • From littering to flying kites, some of the activities that are ubiquitous in India are actually in violation of the law.
Most of us may think that we follow all the rules and are not breaking any laws. However, there are some laws that are broken so frequently that we may not even realise we are breaking them.
Advertisement

Flying a kite

Flying a kite
BCCL

Flying a kite is something that most of us love to do, especially during the time of Makar Sankranti. However, it is illegal to fly a kite in India without a permit.

As per the Indian Aircraft Act, 1934, you need a permit to fly an aircraft. According to the Act, an aircraft is any machine that can “derive support in the atmosphere from reaction of the air that include balloons, air ships, kites, gliders and flying machines.”

Negligent flying of a kite is punishable by imprisonment of 2 years or a fine of up to ₹10,00,000.

Littering

Littering
BCCL

Littering is quite common in India and is something that all of us have done sometime or the other. It could be as small as throwing a wrapper while eating a chocolate or throwing a bottle after drinking water.

Littering is illegal and comes under Section 278 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) – making the atmosphere noxious to health. A person found littering a public place in India can be fined up to ₹500.

Advertisement

Spitting in public

Spitting in public
BCCL

Spitting in public is another common sight that can be seen on Indian roads, especially by those who chew tobacco or betel leaf. While spitting was already illegal under municipal law in most cities, the Covid-19 pandemic has forced the Union Home Ministry to make spitting a punishable offence under the strict Disaster Management Act.

As per the Section 51 (b) of the Disaster Management Act, spitting in public may result in imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine or both.

Buying liquor in Maharashtra

Buying liquor in Maharashtra
BCCL

Maharashtra is the only state in India that requires you to have a permit to possess, consume, or transport alcoholic beverages. It can be availed only by people who are above 25 years of age (21 years for beer and wine) and allows you to keep 12 units of alcohol and consume them in a private location.

Transporting liquor without a permit is punishable with a fine of ₹50,000 or up to 5 years in prison.

Advertisement

Playing loud music

Playing loud music
BCCL

We often play music at marriages or parties without thinking about how it may be affecting others in the area. Article 21 of the Indian constitution, Right to life states – “every citizen has the right to a decent environment, right to live peacefully, right to sleep at night and a right to have leisure, which are all necessary ingredients for the right to life.”

In 2005, the Supreme Court of India in its order stated that no loudspeakers could be permitted between 10 pm to 6 am. Playing loud music during this time can lead to a fine of ₹1 lakh or imprisonment of five years as per Section 15 (1) of the Environment Protection Act.

Piracy

Piracy
BCCL

Piracy is another common law that we often break in India. Downloading movies, music, software or other such copyrighted content from the internet is against the Indian Copyright Law and the person can be tried under both civil and criminal law.

Under the Indian Copyright Act, copyright infringement can land you in jail for a period of seven days to three years. Additionally, the statutory fines range from ₹50,000 to ₹2,00,000.

Advertisement