Kota: Bollywood star Salman Khan has landed in legal trouble yet again, this time for endorsing a pan masala brand. He received a notice from a consumer court in Kota, Rajasthan, after senior BJP leader and Rajasthan High Court advocate Mohan Singh Honey registered a complaint against Rajshree Pan Masala, of which he is the brand ambassador.
Honey sought a ban on the advertisements of the pan masala, alleging that they misled the consumers. In his complaint to the Kota Consumer Court, the lawyer named the brand, Rajshree Pan Masala and the Bollywood actor. He claimed that the advertisement misled customers by promoting that the product is ‘saffron-infused’.
The advertisement is fraudulent, Honey claimed, since saffron, a premium condiment, is priced at Rs 4 lakh per kilogram, and cannot be an ingredient in a product that costs Rs 5. Honey added that such claims would encourage youngsters to consume pan masala, a leading cause of mouth cancer.
“Salman Khan is a role model for many people. We have filed a complaint against him in the Kota Consumer Court, and notices have been issued for a hearing. Celebrities or film stars in other countries don’t even promote cold drinks, but they are promoting tobacco and pan masala here. I urge them not to spread the wrong message to the youth, as pan masala is one of the leading causes of mouth cancer,” the petitioner told ANI.
According to the news agency, the Kota Consumer Court has officially sought a formal response from Khan and the manufacturing company. The next hearing is scheduled for November 27. The company Salman Khan endorses, also manufactures cardamom packets.
The pan masala market size in India is more than Rs 46,000 crore and endorsements mean big money. In the past, pan masala companies had even roped in Hollywood stars to advertise for them.
Khan is also not the only Bollywood star to endorse a pan masala brand. There is another brand of pan masala that is endorsed by Ajay Devgan, Shahrukh Khan and Tiger Short. Even that advertisement claims that the product contains saffron.
As far as Salman Khan is concerned, he seems to have a penchant for turning up at the wrong side of the law. In the past, he has been accused in a hit-and-run case in Mumbai and a poaching case in Rajasthan.