India, Sept. 24 -- Duty-free shops are not exempt from domestic regulatory laws, the Bombay High Court has held, refusing to interfere with the ban on sale of imported nicotine pouches by such outlets at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

In a judgment passed on Tuesday, a bench of Justices Suman Shyam and Advait Sethna said import of goods into India, even if for the limited purpose of warehousing or re-export, would not enjoy any immunity from the application of the domestic laws.

The order was passed on a petition filed by Mumbai Travel Retail Limited and Flemingo Dutyfree Shop Private Limited, challenging the ban imposed by the Drugs Controller General on the sale of their imported nicotine pouches under the...