The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration has concluded its inquiry against actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff for allegedly breaching state rules through their participation in advertisements for Vimal Pan Masala. FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe stated on Friday that the department has completed the necessary action process concerning the promotional campaign. The findings will be placed before the competent authority next week to arrive at a formal determination regarding the alleged infractions.
Regulatory Inquiry Concludes Ahead of Next Week’s Decision
Departmental officials confirmed that the comprehensive inquiry established that the three actors violated state regulations governing such commercial endorsements. Having gathered the relevant material, the agency is preparing to transfer the entire case file to the designated adjudicating officer in the coming week. This transfer marks the end of the preliminary fact-finding stage and initiates formal proceedings against the actors.
The forthcoming stage involves adjudication, which functions as a recognized quasi-judicial mechanism within the regulatory framework. During this process, government authorities scrutinize the collected evidence and determine liability without the delays typically linked to full-scale courtroom battles. The framework allows the department to impose monetary penalties on violators, offering an effective and direct path to enforce state statutes.
Quasi-Judicial Route Chosen to Determine Fines
The deployment of the adjudication process provides the department with legal authority to evaluate the evidence methodically. Through this administrative route, the assigned authority assesses the gravity of the regulatory breach and holds the legal power to levy direct financial penalties on the individuals involved. Officials pointed out that opting for this administrative route avoids protracted litigation in standard courts while ensuring that alleged non-compliance is dealt with strictly under the law.
The regulatory scrutiny initially took shape when the FDA served formal notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Tiger Shroff. Those earlier notices focused specifically on promotional campaigns linked to Vimal Elaichi. The inquiry subsequently broadened as investigators evaluated whether the commercial appearances ran counter to statutory provisions prohibiting certain promotional activities within the territory of Maharashtra.
High Court Move Fails to Halt Department Action
Actor Ajay Devgn has moved the Bombay High Court in response to the ongoing scrutiny, seeking judicial intervention in the matter. Despite Devgn approaching the higher judiciary, the regulatory body does not plan to suspend its scheduled departmental measures. Commissioner Mundhe clarified that the agency intends to press ahead with the matter directly before the Joint Commissioner regardless of the pending legal challenge.
The department plans to place its full investigative documentation before the competent authority as scheduled next week. The adjudicating officer will evaluate the notices previously served to the actors, verify the material collected during the inquiry, and determine whether statutory violations have occurred. Once that review is complete, the authority will decide whether monetary penalties should be imposed against the three performers.
