Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff Respond To FDA Notices Over Vimal Elaichi Ad; Two Seek Hearing: Tukaram Mundhe - VIDEO

Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff have responded to the show-cause notices issued by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over their Vimal Elaichi advertisement. FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said, on Tuesday (September 29), that all three actors have submitted their responses, while two of them also requested a hearing.

According to Mundhe, the hearings were completed on Monday and the department will now proceed with the matter. He did not reveal which two actors had sought the hearing.

"Regarding those notices, responses from all three have come. Two of them had asked for a hearing. Their hearing was finished yesterday, and we are proceeding further," he said.

When asked specifically which actors appeared for the hearing, Mundhe said they were “those who wanted it”.

The latest development comes days after Mundhe said that one of the three actors had not responded to the notices. At the time, he said the FDA had initiated adjudication and prosecution proceedings against the actor who had not replied.

What Tukaram Mundhe Had Said Earlier

Speaking to NDTV earlier this month, Mundhe had stressed that the actors' celebrity status would not affect the regulatory proceedings. Mundhe had also said that he was not certain whether Shah Rukh Khan had responded to the notice at that point.

The commissioner further argued that responsibility in such cases does not rest only with the manufacturer. Referring to advertising provisions under the Food Safety and Standards Act, he said the person or institution promoting a product also has a responsibility to conduct due diligence before endorsing it.

Tukaram Mundhe Calls Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff 'Violators of Law' Over Pan Masala Ad

Why Did SRK, Ajay And Tiger Receive Notices?

The Maharashtra FDA issued the show-cause notices on August 11 over the actors' appearance in a Vimal Elaichi advertisement. The regulator alleged that the campaign could amount to indirect or surrogate promotion of Vimal Pan Masala, a product prohibited in Maharashtra.

The actors were asked to explain their role in the advertisement and provide relevant documents. The FDA's notice cited provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, including Section 24, which deals with misleading advertisements. Section 53 provides for a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh for publishing or being involved in the publication of a misleading food advertisement.

The matter has since moved beyond the initial show-cause notices. The Delhi High Court also declined to entertain a challenge to the notices in September, saying that courts in Maharashtra were the more appropriate forum for the matter.