Rs 4 lakh/kg saffron in Rs 5 pan masala pouch? Court issues notice to Shah Rukh, Ajay Devgan, Tiger Shroff on consumer plea

The district consumer disputes redressal forum, Jaipur-II, has issued notices to actors Shahrukh Khan, Ajay Devgan, and Tiger Shroff, along with the chairman of JB Industries, over an alleged misleading advertisement for Vimal Pan Masala. The forum has asked them to appear on March 19 regarding claims made in the advertisement that each grain of the pan masala contains saffron, a TOI report stated.

Complaint against the advertisement

The forum, chaired by Gyarsilal Meena, with member Hemlata Agarwal, issued the notice after hearing a complaint filed by Jaipur resident Yogendra Singh Badiyal. The complainant stated that JB Industries, which manufactures Vimal Pan Masala, promotes its product nationwide.

"The three actors, including Shahrukh Khan, Ajay Devgan, and Tiger Shroff, advertise it to increase its sales. It is claimed in the advertisement that it contains saffron. However, the truth is that the price of saffron is around 4 lakh rupees per kg and their Pan Masala with Tobacco pouch comes in at Rs 5. In such a situation, forget about adding saffron, even its fragrance cannot be added to it," the petitioner said.

Allegation of misleading consumers

The complaint alleged that the advertisement misleads consumers by promoting the product as containing saffron. "The manufacturing company is doing business worth crores of rupees and, on the other hand, the common people are inviting diseases like cancer by consuming the harmful and fatal combo of Pan Masala with tobacco known as gutkha. This mix, known as gutkha, is harmful to health, and the manufacturing company is also aware of this. In such a situation, it is deliberately advertising it by claiming that it contains saffron to mislead the common people. In such a situation, its advertisement should be banned," the petitioner said.

The forum has directed the actors and JB Industries chairman to respond to the notice by the given date.