HC issues notice to Union Cabinet Secretary and CPA Chief over Gutkha ads featuring celebrities

The Allahabad High Court has issued a notice to the Union cabinet secretary and the chief commissioner of the Central Consumer Protection Authority for their lack of response to a previous representation requesting action against film celebrities who appeared in gutkha advertisements.

A contempt petition was filed by Motilal Yadav against Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Central Consumer Protection Authority Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare for their failure to respond to his earlier representation. The court ordered a notice considering the petition.

The court has set October 9th as the next hearing date for the case in which the petitioner alleges that on September 22, 2022, the high court instructed Gauba and Khare to make a decision if the petitioner submitted a representation seeking action against Bollywood stars such as Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Shah Rukh Khan, Saif Ali Khan, and Ranbir Kapoor for endorsing gutkha companies in advertisements.

The petitioner claims that he submitted his representation on October 15, 2022, but as of now, no decision has been reached on his representation, and no action has been taken against the mentioned film stars. The notice issued by the court seeks an explanation from the authorities for their alleged contempt of court in this matter..