BBS/0704/CP/001
July 28, 2004
For the
kind attention of;
The Inspector General of Police, Chandigarh
Call
for taking Cognizance of the offence(s) committed under The Cigarette and
Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and
Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003.
Sir,
Your attention is called towards the news
item/interview in the page 6 of the Chandigarh Tribune dated July 28, 2004
under the head “Lifestyle”. Wherein Sh. Sundeep Kumar, Senior Vice
President, Corporate Affairs of the Company Godfrey Phillips India Limited
has announced some awards in the brand name of one of their cigarette “Red
and White” and has also declared that some eminent personalities including
police officers, retired judges of the supreme court and high court,
renowned social workers and media personalities have agreed to be a part of
the event as judges.
We would like to draw your attention to the
relevant extracts from
“The
Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and
Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act,
2003”
Section 5. (3)
No person, shall, under a contract or otherwise promote
or agree to promote the use or consumption of—
(a)
cigarettes or any other tobacco product; or
(b) any
trade mark or brand name of cigarettes or any other tobacco product
in exchange for a sponsorship, gift, prize or scholarship
given or agreed to be given by another person.
Wherein the above mention action of Sh.
Sundeep Kumar and the others mentioned by him amounts to promoting the BRAND
of Tobacco which is prohibited under the law u/s 5 of the above mentioned
act. You are requested to book him and the other members of the panel of
judges and others who have agreed to be a part of the proposed and
publicized event under section 22 and other relevant provisions of the act
and initiate the action. Further those who are involved in this present act
or any act agreed to be done in future should also be dealt according to the
provisions of law.
We are also enclosing a raw video film (on
VCD) shot by us, highlighting the open violations of the Act across the
city. The same was also presented to His Excellency Justice O. P. Verma, the
Administrator of Chandigarh. We were specifically asked by the Administrator
to apprise your good office of any future violations in this regard. A
memorandum highlighting the violations was also presented to the
Administrator which we are annexing herewith to reiterate its contents and
for necessary action.
Thanking you,
Yours cordially
Satish Kumar Bhatti
For Burning Brain Society
(Secretary, Legal– Action Group Against Tobacco; BBS)
Enclosures:
1) Copy of
newspaper dated July 28, 2004.
2) Copy of
the VCD highlighting violation of Advertisements of tobacco products.
3) Copy of
the petition given to the Administrator.
burningbrain.org