An advocate has moved the High Court of Karnataka questioning the legality of the pictorial warning on cigarette packs.
He has also questioned the recent government decision to print such warnings on at least 85 per cent of the larger panel of cigarette packs from the present 40 per cent.
G.R. Venkatesh Murty (45), in his petition, contended that the pictorial warning conveyed a morbid and unpleasant feeling. He said this was adversely affecting his mental and emotional well-being and his ability to lead a normal, happy life. It has been contended in the petition that packages carrying gruesome, disturbing and horrifying images as pictorial warnings amounts to a compulsory imposition on the petitioner to receive such communication, which is constitutionally impermissible.
Justice S. Abdul Nazeer, before whom the petition came up for hearing, has ordered issue of notice to the Union government.