A legal dispute involving actor Salman Khan over alleged misleading advertising has seen a significant interim relief from the judiciary, with the Rajasthan High Court stepping in to pause ongoing consumer court proceedings linked to a pan masala endorsement case, according to Bar and Bench.
The development pertains to proceedings before the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Jaipur, which had earlier restrained certain advertisements and issued bailable warrants against the actor. The matter escalated through the consumer court hierarchy before reaching the High Court for consideration.
On Friday, Justice Anuroop Singhi of the Rajasthan High Court ordered a stay on the consumer forum proceedings while hearing Khan’s petition challenging
earlier orders passed by the District Commission and upheld by the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. The actor has also separately approached the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) in connection with the case.
During the hearing, senior advocate GS Bapna, representing Khan, argued that the actor had only endorsed a “silver-coated elaichi” product and had not appeared in advertisements for pan masala. The counsel submitted that the complaint itself was “ex facie misconceived.”
It was also argued that the District Consumer Commission did not have jurisdiction to adjudicate matters concerning misleading advertisements, which, according to the petitioner’s side, fall under the Central Consumer Protection Authority. The defence further raised procedural concerns, stating that an interim order dated January 6 was passed without notice and was not duly served. It was also contended that initiating contempt proceedings under Section 72 of the Consumer Protection Act without proper service was not legally sustainable, and that issuing bailable warrants without recorded findings was improper.
The High Court took note of the fact that Khan had already approached the NCDRC challenging a January 15 order that led to the issuance of warrants. It also recorded that the NCDRC had on April 8 stayed the execution of the bailable warrants issued by the District Commission.
In view of these developments, the High Court stayed the ongoing consumer proceedings and issued notice to complainant Yogendra Singh Badiyal, seeking a response. The Court has also extended similar relief to Kamal Kant & Company, the manufacturer associated with the Rajshree Pan Masala brand.
The case originated from a complaint filed in December 2025 by advocate Yogendra Singh Badiyal against Rajshree Pan Masala and Salman Khan. The plea alleged that advertisements for “Rajshree Elaichi” functioned as surrogate promotion for pan masala products, thereby constituting misleading advertising under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The matter, in which Khan has been impleaded as a brand ambassador, is now scheduled to be heard next on May 12.
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