Mumbai: State FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe on Friday said that actor Ajay Devgn has approached Bombay High Court months after he was served a show-cause notice over his role in promotional advertisements for surrogate pan masala ads for the Vimal Elaichi brand.His statement comes months after FDA’s notice, which was also issued to actors Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff for featuring in the brand advertisements. When the notices were served, the brands as well as the actors were asked to get the ads removed from all media platforms and provide explanations.There have not been any public statements by the actors regarding the show-cause notices.Speaking to the press, Mundhe said, “Hearings have been completed by the assistant commissioner. She will be filing an adjudication case before the joint commissioner by next week; the adjudication process will hence begin.”He said even despite Devgn’s case in court now, the proceedings will continue as per the rules until any further directions from the court.The actors were asked to furnish complete details regarding endorsement contracts, distribution channels, and proof of whether Vimal Elaichi is an independent product available for sale.Vimal Pan Masala is a smokeless tobacco product that is a product prohibited for manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution, and sale in the state.India carries a massive burden of oral cancer, accounting for roughly 30% of global cases, largely due to the prevalence of smokeless tobacco. National data registries report over 1,43,000 new cases and nearly 80,000 deaths annually.
