Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn has mounted a legal challenge in the Bombay High Court against a show-cause notice served by Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe regarding his appearance in 'Vimal Elaichi' commercials.
The petition is scheduled for a hearing before a division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna.
The regulatory crackdown centres on claims that advertising for 'Vimal Elaichi' acts as a surrogate marketing front for 'Vimal Pan Masala,' a chewable tobacco offering currently banned under Maharashtra state regulations.
Fellow actors Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff were also issued notices by the FDA for their participation in the campaign.
FDA chief Tukaram Mundhe affirmed that internal investigations concerning the three actors stand completed.
Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn has mounted a legal challenge in the Bombay High Court against a show-cause notice served by Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe regarding his appearance in 'Vimal Elaichi' commercials. The petition is scheduled for a hearing before a division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna.
The regulatory crackdown centres on claims that advertising for 'Vimal Elaichi' acts as a surrogate marketing front for 'Vimal Pan Masala,' a chewable tobacco offering currently banned under Maharashtra state regulations. Fellow actors Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff were also issued notices by the FDA for their participation in the campaign.
Devgn's legal plea argues that the state regulator's notice is arbitrary, maintaining that statutory liability and enforcement actions should rest with the product's manufacturing company rather than celebrity endorser actors.
FDA chief Tukaram Mundhe affirmed that internal investigations concerning the three actors stand completed. The department concluded that statutory violations had occurred and confirmed plans to escalate the matter to the joint commissioner for formal adjudication while the High Court evaluates Devgn's petition.
