Following a contempt petition, the Central Government has served show cause notices to esteemed actors Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, and Ajay Devgn concerning their endorsements of gutka companies. The Allahabad High Court scheduled the next hearing for May 9, 2024, after the government’s counsel apprised the court of the Supreme Court’s involvement in the matter. The petitioner’s plea for action against these actors advocating gutka companies prompted this development.
Moreover, Justice Rajesh Singh Chauhan’s bench directed the government to address the petitioner’s concerns after alleging no action had been taken despite representation on October 22. Additionally, Amitabh Bachchan’s legal notice to a gutka company for airing his advertisement post-contract termination was highlighted during the proceedings. This step follows recent moves by various authorities, such as Puri’s Jagannath Temple Administration’s strict ban on ‘paan’ and ‘gutka’ effective January 1, 2024.
