THE HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE UJJAL BHUYAN
AND
THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE C.V.BHASKAR REDDY
W.P.No.44859 of 2022
ORDER: (Per the Hon'ble the Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan)
Heard Mr. Pochaiah Dorishetti, learned counsel for the
petitioner; Mr. M.Roopender, learned Government Pleader for
Home representing respondents No.1, 3 and 5;
Ms. K.Mahalakshmi, learned Assistant Government Pleader for Medical Health & Family Welfare representing respondent No.2;
and Mr. G.Praveen Kumar, learned Deputy Solicitor General of India representing respondents No.4 and 6.
2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the issue raised in this writ petition is squarely covered by the order of this Court dated 08.09.2022 passed in W.P.No.20212 of 2022 and batch.
3. Relevant portion of the order dated 08.09.2022 reads as under:
In all these writ petitions, the prayer made is for declaration of the notification bearing No.501/FSS-I/2022 dated 07.01.2022 ::2::
issued by respondent No.3 as illegal and ultra vires the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Production of Advertisement Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 as well as in violation of Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India.
It may be mentioned that similar notification was issued in the year 2021, which was put to challenge before this Court in W.P.No.5444 of 2021. By the judgment and order dated 15.03.2021, the said writ petition was dismissed. Against such dismissal, S.L.P.No.20441 of 2021 has been filed and it is pending before the Supreme Court.
During pendency of the aforesaid SLP, the impugned notification bearing No.501/FSS-I/2022 dated 07.01.2022 came to be issued. By order dated 31.03.2022, Supreme Court has stayed the impugned notification dated 07.01.2022.
Learned counsel for the petitioners have made a grievance that despite the notification being stayed by the Supreme Court, yet the petitioners are being harassed by the local police authorities by interfering with their day-to-day businesses.
We make it clear that since the entire matter is before the Supreme Court, it would not be proper on our part to have a parallel adjudication as the order of the Supreme Court would be binding on all courts and authorities. Since the Supreme Court has stayed the impugned notification vide the order dated 31.03.2022, respondents shall comply with the said order of the Supreme Court in letter and spirit.
If any of the petitioners feel that the stay order of the Supreme Court has been violated or breached, they would be at liberty to take appropriate steps in accordance with law.
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This disposes of the writ petitions.
4. Having regard to the above, this writ petition is disposed of in terms of the order dated 08.09.2022 passed in W.P.No.20212 of 2022 and batch. No costs.
As a sequel, miscellaneous petitions, pending if any, stand closed.
__________________ UJJAL BHUYAN, CJ _______________________ C.V.BHASKAR REDDY, J Date: 15.12.2022 LUR