Bollywood actor Salman Khan recently found himself in another legal soup after a complaint was filed against him for endorsing a pan masala brand. The actor has now issued a detailed clarification. telling court that he endorsed silver-coated cardamom and not gutkha. His lawyer submitted a comprehensive response before the Kota Consumer Court, while also requesting an inquiry into the signatures submitted in his reply.
Salman Khan responds amid pan masala ad row
The dispute emerges from a complaint filed against Khan over an alleged misleading advertisement for a pan masala brand. Meanwhile, the case continues to be heard in the Kota Consumer Court. The next hearing is scheduled for December 9.
Advocate Ashish Dubey, representing Salman Khan, informed the court that the Consumer Commission lacks the necessary jurisdiction to address the complaint. He clarified that Salman is neither a manufacturer nor a service provider for pan masala, asserting that involving him in the case is legally unjustified. He further claimed that the complainant has dragged Khan into the matter on false grounds, leading to “unnecessary harassment.”
The advocate further reiterated that Salman Khan did not advertise gutkha or pan masala. He only endorsed silver-coated cardamom, an item that does not fall under the pan masala category. He argued that this weakens the foundation of the complaint.
Meanwhile, Pradeep Instructor Singh Hani, the complainant, has raised objections to the response filed on Khan’s behalf. Hani contested that the signatures on the document do not appear to be Salman Khan’s genuine ones. He has requested the court to order the actor’s personal attendance and to verify the submitted signatures.
About the pan masala ad row
Bollywood actor Salman Khan landed in legal trouble after a complaint was filed against him in the Kota Consumer Court, alleging that advertisements for a popular pan masala brand endorsed by him were “misleading.”
The complaint, filed by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Rajasthan High Court advocate Inder Mohan Singh Honey, seeks a ban on such advertisements. Following the complaint, the Kota Consumer Court has issued notices to the actor and sought a formal response.
According to his complaint, the company manufacturing Rajshree Pan Masala and its brand ambassador, actor Salman Khan, have been engaged in misleading advertising by promoting the product as containing “saffron-infused cardamom” and “saffron-infused pan masala.”
The petitioner questioned the credibility of these claims, arguing that saffron, which costs nearly Rs 4 lakh per kilogram, cannot logically be an ingredient in a product priced at Rs 5.
(With inputs from ANI)