New Delhi, September 7, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Delhi High Court on Monday reserved its verdict on the issue of jurisdiction in a plea filed by the company associated with Vimal Elaichi, challenging show-cause notices issued by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over an alleged surrogate advertisement for Vimal pan masala.
A single-judge Bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma reserved the order on whether the Delhi High Court can entertain the petition seeking quashing of the notices issued by the Maharashtra FDA.
During the hearing, the petitioner company argued that the notices were issued only to the three actors and not to the company itself, despite the company claiming that it would suffer irreparable harm from any action against the advertisement. It also contended that the Maharashtra FDA lacked jurisdiction to issue directions seeking to halt the campaign.
The Centre and the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) opposed the maintainability of the plea before the Delhi High Court, arguing that the company should approach the Bombay High Court since the impugned action was taken by the Maharashtra FDA.
The CCPA told the court that it was examining the issue independently and had no objection to the Maharashtra FDA issuing the notices. The court was also informed that the CCPA was conducting separate proceedings over similar allegations concerning the advertisement but had not issued any direction against the campaign.
The case relates to show-cause notices served on Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff over their appearance in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement. The Maharashtra FDA alleged that the campaign amounted to surrogate advertising for Vimal Pan Masala, which is prohibited in Maharashtra.
The regulator invoked Section 24 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which deals with misleading or deceptive advertisements relating to food products. It also referred to Section 53, which provides for a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh for misleading food advertisements.
According to the FDA, the advertisement appeared to indirectly promote the Vimal Pan Masala brand by marketing another product under the Vimal name. The regulator said Vimal Pan Masala was prohibited in Maharashtra for manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale for one year under a prohibition order issued on July 13 this year.
The notices were served on Devgn at his residence in Juhu and on Shah Rukh Khan at Mannat in Bandra. Shroff was served through his production company, Tiger Shroff Productions LLP.
The Maharashtra FDA recently confirmed that it had received responses from Shroff and Devgn, while Shah Rukh Khan’s response was still awaited. The regulator said it was examining the replies and would determine whether the advertisement and product promotion complied with applicable regulations before deciding on further action.
The FDA is also probing allegations that the advertisement promoted the sale of a different product by using the name or form of another product through surrogate marketing.
Under Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, the Maharashtra FDA has intensified enforcement against food safety violations across the state, including action against adulteration and the manufacture and distribution of prohibited gutka and tobacco-containing pan masala.
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