You may have heard popular Bollywood actors promoting pan masala products with lines claiming, “Every grain contains saffron.” But now, Shahrukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff, and the gutkha company might have to justify this claim in court. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum in Jaipur has issued a legal notice to them regarding this matter.
Legal Notice Issued by Jaipur Consumer Forum
According to media reports, the ‘District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum Jaipur-II’ has issued the notice. Along with the famous actors, the notice has also been served to the chairman of JB Industries, the company that manufactures Vimal Pan Masala. The actors are being questioned for endorsing this product. The forum has summoned them to appear on March 19 for alleged misleading advertisement claims.
This order was issued by Forum Chairman Gyarsilal Meena and Forum Member Hemlata Agarwal after Jaipur resident Yogendra Singh Badiyal filed a complaint against the company and actors.
Allegations in the Complaint
The complaint accuses JB Industries of misleading the public by falsely claiming their pan masala contains saffron. Yogendra Singh Badiyal argued that the product’s packaging claims “every grain contains saffron,” yet saffron’s price is around Rs 4 lakh per kg. Since this pan masala is sold with a tobacco pouch for just Rs 5, adding real saffron seems unrealistic.
The petitioner emphasized that the misleading advertisement aims to boost sales by convincing consumers that the product includes premium ingredients. He further claimed that promoting this harmful mixture encourages people to consume gutkha, a deadly blend of pan masala and tobacco known to cause serious health issues like cancer.
Demand for Action
Yogendra Singh Badiyal has urged authorities to ban this misleading advertisement, stressing that both the actors and the manufacturer are aware of the product’s harmful effects but continue to promote it under false claims.
