The Bombay High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought the registration of criminal cases against prominent Bollywood actors Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, and former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar for allegedly endorsing gutka and tobacco products. The court observed that such frivolous litigations should be firmly dealt with and dismissed the petition filed by NGO Yash Foundation.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Arif S Doctor noted that the petitioner had failed to conduct proper research and did not file the petition appropriately. The court warned Yash Foundation to be more cautious in the future or face potential consequences for similar actions, The Economic Times reported.

The courtroom saw a strong defense team for the celebrities, including advocates Dr Seema Jain, Dushyant K Mahant, A K Jain, Vimlesh Kumar, and Abhay Jadeja, representing Shah Rukh Khan and Vimal Elaichi. Despite their presence, the court refused to entertain the PIL.

The bench questioned the petitioner about the steps taken to lodge an FIR regarding surrogate advertising of tobacco products. The petitioner mentioned that an advocate had written to the state police and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India seeking action.