Omkar Agency v. Union of India

Omkar Agency filed a writ challenging the Indian government and its ministries from enforcing the ban on gutkha or pan mashala containing tobacco.  The writ asserts that the regulations regarding gutkha or pan mashala under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 are invalid because neither gutkha nor pan mashala are an article of food and the national Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act 2003 (COTPA) should control tobacco regulation.  Omkar, a business that stocked and sold gutkha prior to the regulations, seeks relief from the regulations while the litigation is ongoing.  The court gives the government three options:  1) to allow Omkar to move their stock to a state which does not have the regulations, 2) to account for Omkar’s stock and seal it, or 3) to account for the stock and require a promise from Omkar not to sell their products during the case proceedings.

Patna High Court CWJC No.10702 of 2012 (2) dt.20-07-2012

  • India
  • Jul 20, 2012
  • High Court of Judicature at Patna
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Parties

Plaintiff M/S Omkar Agency

Defendant The Union of India & Ors.

Legislation Cited

Related Documents

Type of Litigation

Tobacco Control Topics

Substantive Issues

Type of Tobacco Product

"Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that due to ban imposed by the impugned notification, as contained in Annexure1, large quantity of Gutkha and Pan Mashala have been stacked up in its godown of petitioner. He submits that now, in view of the ban, neither petitioner-firm can sell it nor it can transport it elsewhere outside the State. Hence, during the pendency of this application, petitioner should not be harassed for stocking the materials. Since petitioner claims that it had stocked the materials before imposition of ban, it is advisable for the respondents to either allow the petitioner to transport the materials somewhere outside the State where ban is not operating or to get stock verification done and to seal the godown till further orders of the Court or any competent authority. Alternatively, if the Patna High Court respondents so consider it appropriate, after stock verification, they may obtain an undertaking from the petitioner that it shall not sell the articles in open market during the pendency of this application."