IPL 2017: Allahabad High Court issues notice to BCCI, Sony, Shudh Plus over tobacco promotion

IPL 2017: HC issues notice to BCCI, Sony, Shudh Plus over tobacco promotion

Allahabad: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday issued notice to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Sony Pictures Network and pan masala manufacturing company for allegedly advertising and promoting tobacco products during the ongoing IPL tournament. A division bench comprising Chief Justice DB 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 COTPA (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. BCCI Anti Corruption Unit lead to arrest of 3 suspected individuals

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”. Meanwhile, a day after the Gujarat Lions and Delhi Daredevils IPL clashed here, police have arrested three people who were allegedly running a betting racket from inside the same hotel where the two teams were staying.

On Wednesday, when the match was on at the Green Park stadium, the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) initiated action on information that a betting racket was being run from the Landmark Hotel, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kanpur, Akash Kulhari said.