The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) sent notices to Bollywood icons Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Akshay Kumar regarding their endorsement of a gutka brand, as disclosed by the Centre to the Allahabad High Court. Despite a representation made on Oct 22, no immediate action was taken until recently. It was also revealed in court that Amitabh Bachchan had legally addressed a gutka company for featuring his advertisement post the termination of his contract with them.
The petition mentioned several Bollywood figures—Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Shah Rukh Khan, and Saif Ali Khan—alongside the managing directors of gutka companies Vimal, Kamla Pasand, and Pan Bahar. It urged the CCPA to take action against these Padma awardees and demanded penalties.
In a bid to address the matter, the petition proposed that these individuals deposit their earnings from such endorsements, along with an equivalent amount, into the Government of India relief fund. The court took note of these concerns and directed the petitioner to approach the Government of India, urging attention to the alleged misconduct.