Ajay Devgn Moves Bombay High Court Against Maharashtra FDA Notice Over Vimal Elaichi Ads; Hearing Likely on November 4
Ajay Devgn has moved the Bombay High Court against a Maharashtra FDA notice over Vimal Elaichi ads. The FDA says it will go ahead with adjudication.
Photo: Radosław Botev / CC BY 3.0 pl, via Wikimedia Commons
Mumbai, 31st October 2026: Actor Ajay Devgn has gone to the Bombay High Court to challenge a show-cause notice issued to him by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over his advertisements for Vimal Elaichi. The petition, filed as Ajay Devgan v. State of Maharashtra and others, is likely to be heard on Wednesday, 4 November.
According to legal news site Bar and Bench, the matter is expected to come before a division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna.
What the FDA says
In August, the FDA issued a nine-page show-cause notice to Ajay Devgn, Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff, the brand ambassadors in the ads. The FDA’s case is that the Vimal Elaichi ads are a “surrogate” promotion of Vimal Pan Masala. Pan masala and tobacco products have been banned in Maharashtra since 2012.
Speaking to the media in Mumbai on Friday, FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe confirmed that Devgn had approached the High Court, and said the FDA would continue with its process. He said all three actors had replied to the notice and sought time. The Assistant Commissioner has completed the proceedings and found that the law was violated, and the cases have been sent to the Joint Commissioner for adjudication, which Mundhe said could start in about a week.
The FDA had also told the actors to remove the ads from social media.
Devgn’s arguments
As reported, Devgn’s petition challenges the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the FDA’s regulations, without the specific provisions being named in reports so far. He also argues that the notice was wrongly served on him as an actor, when the action should have been against the manufacturing company. His legal team is led by Parag Khandhar and Chandrima Mitra of DSK Legal.
The manufacturer’s earlier case
The product’s maker, PB Agro, had approached the Delhi High Court in August to quash the notices. That court dismissed its plea on the ground of territorial jurisdiction, saying the courts in Maharashtra were the right forum.
Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff have not made any public statement on the notices.
The case is being watched closely because it could decide how far the state can hold celebrities responsible for ads of products sold under a brand name linked to a banned item. In Pune too, the FDA has been active this festive season; read about its dry fruit seizures before Diwali and its action against warehouses over expired food.
This article reports legal proceedings and does not decide anyone’s guilt. The matter is before the court. We will update it after the hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Ajay Devgn move the Bombay High Court?
He is challenging a Maharashtra FDA show-cause notice that says his Vimal Elaichi ads are a surrogate promotion of banned pan masala.
When will the Bombay High Court hear Ajay Devgn’s petition?
It is likely to be heard on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, by a bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna.
Which other actors received the FDA notice?
Shah Rukh Khan and Tiger Shroff also received similar notices from the Maharashtra FDA.
Is pan masala banned in Maharashtra?
Yes. Pan masala and tobacco products have been banned in Maharashtra since 2012.
