Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn receive notices for promoting tobacco products

The Centre informed Allahabad Court's Lucknow bench that it has issued notices against Bollywood stalwarts Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn. The matter pertains to a contempt petition that argued Padma awardees should refrain from advertising tobacco products.

Hyderabad: In response to a contempt petition, the central government notified the Allahabad Court's Lucknow bench that actors Shahrukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Akshay Kumar had received notices regarding their roles in commercials for gutka companies. The bench scheduled the hearing for May 9, 2024, after reviewing the submission.

In August 2023, the petitioner filed a motion for contempt against the court for their noncompliance with its September 2022 order, which required them to contact the Indian government. The court responded by sending notices to the Cabinet Secretary, Chief Commissioner, and Central Consumer Protection Authority. The Deputy Solicitor General responded to the notice by informing Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan's bench that actors Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Ajay Devgn had received show cause notices on October 20.

On a contempt petition, a bench of Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan issued an order. According to the order, the petitioner, who claimed that actors and dignitaries who received high-profile awards but participated in gutkha company advertisements should be held accountable, had the Central government decide how to represent them in September 2022. It was reported that the government received the representation on October 22, but neither the representation nor any action in the matter were made.

Following the hearing on the contempt petition, the HC sent a notice to the Central Government Cabinet Secretary. The three actors, Akshay, Shahrukh, and Ajay, received show cause notices from the Central government, the HC was told on Friday by Deputy Solicitor General SB Pandey.