The Centre had said the pictorial warnings on all tobacco products should appear prominently on all tobacco products starting April 1.
Highlights
- Centre had ordered tobacco companies to put bigger warnings from April 1
- Companies got stay from Karnataka High Court, rejected by top court today
- Companies say the requirement to cover 85% of packet is 'excessive'
Tobacco companies, which have been opposing the government order to place bigger pictorial warnings on packs of tobacco products, have been told by the Supreme Court to do so without any further delay.
The companies have been in talks with the government over the specifications of the picture and three of them, meanwhile, had obtained a stay on the government order from the Karnataka High Court.
But the top court today said the high court order is not valid.
"Don't give them any stay, I defend the implementation," Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, who appeared for the Centre, told the court.
Agreeing with the Center, the top court said from here on, the Karnataka High Court will hear all the petitions in the tobacco case. There are as many as 27 cases pending in four high courts - all filed by tobacco companies.
The Centre had said the pictorial warnings on all tobacco products should appear prominently on all tobacco products starting April 1. The warnings, the Centre had said, should occupy 85% of the space on the pack instead of the current 40%.
The companies have protested, saying the measure was excessive.
More than 1 million Indians die every year from the ill effects of tobacco products.
Passing the orders today, the top court said, "The more you educate people the more they will become aware of evils of tobacco".