Karnataka HC declines stay on tobacco product packaging rules

BENGALURU : The Karnataka high court has declined to grant stay on the Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Second Amendment Rules, 2018.

Justice Aravind Kumar declined stay after C Shashikantha , Assistant Solicitor General(ASG) representing the central government informed the court that new rules have been challenged before the apex court and no stay was granted by the top court.

The ASG further informed the court that the Karnataka high court’s order quashing the earlier regulation (2014) regarding 85 per cent pictorial warning on cigarette packs has been stayed by the Apex court on January 8,2018 .

The new rules, which would come into effect from September 1,2018 the packets of smoking and smokeless forms of tobacco products will have to carry phrases 'tobacco causes cancer' and 'tobacco causes painful death' and also contain the phrase 'quit today and the toll free number in the background.

Godfrey Philips India Private Limited and another company had moved the court seeking for a stay on the new amendment.