HC notice to BCCI, Sony, for 'promoting' tobacco during IPL

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday issued notice to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Sony Pictures Network and a pan masala manufacturing company for allegedly advertising and promoting tobacco products during the ongoing IPL tournament.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice D B Bhosle and Justice Yashwant Varma passed the order on a public interest litigation filed by Prakash Kharwadkar, who contended that the logo of ‘Shudh Plus’, one of the sponsors of the tournament, is displayed on jerseys of the Gujarat Lions team which was against the law.

He further contended that according to Section 5 of the OTPA (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act), advertisement of tobacco products like pan masala unless it carried the statutory warning "chewing or consuming tobacco products is injurious to health" is illegal.

The petitioner further alleged that the jerseys of the Gujarat Lions team carried the logo without the statutory warning and that the pan masala manufacturer was also carrying out an ad campaign with the tag line Shudh Plus Khao IPL jao "which was direct promotion of a tobacco product".

Image: IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla

Photograph: BCCI