SC rejects plea seeking restrain on RC from promoting liquor

New Delhi, Apr 28 (UNI) The Supreme Court today dismissed a petition seeking to restrain Royal Challengers, Bangalore, a team participating in Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament from promoting liqour in the name of cricket.

Counsel appearing for Krishan Aggrawal, the petitioner, submitted before the court that Royal Challengers was promoting whiskey brand Royal Challenge, manufactured and sold by U B Group, a company owned by Vijay Mallya, owner of the Royal Challengers, Bangalore, and this was illegal.

He also told the bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justices R V Raveendran and M K Sharma that such advertisements promoting liqour, tobbaco etc were already banned in the US and UK and this was also not permitted in India. Moreover, the logo being used by the Royal Challengers was the same which was inscribed on the bottle of Royal Challenge.

The counsel also contended that the stadium in Bangalore was promoting various brands of liqour such as Kingfisher and such promotion of liqour could not be allowed under the garb of cricket.

Justice Raveendran said in a lighter vein," See cricket, why do you see liquor?".

The petitioner asked the court when the Government is not doing anything to stop the promotion of liqour, where should a citizen go?.

The court, however, was not convinced and dismissed the petition, the petitioner also cited the instance of cheerleaders, who had been banned in Maharashtra on the grounds of obscenity.

UNI SC GT DS1240 ,