By IANS,
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Wednesday refused to accord an urgent hearing to a lawsuit objecting to the name ‘The Royal Challengers’, given by liquor baron Vijay Mallya to his Bangalore team of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice R.V. Raveendran said there was no urgency in the plea that sought to restrain Mallya from using that name.
Kishan Kumar Aggarwal, a Faridabad-based resident, filed the petition alleging that under the garb of ‘The Royal Challengers Bangalore Team’, Mallya-owned United Breweries (UB) group was seeking to promote its liquor brands.
Aggarwal’s counsel sought urgent hearing, saying the IPL tournament was scheduled to start Friday.
The bench also questioned the petitioner’s motive. “You are from which brand? Are you also promoting some brand,” it asked.
Aggarwal, a septuagenarian, contended in his petition that while Indian Cable Network Act, 1995, prohibits the advertisement of liquor brands in any form, the match telecast will only end up promoting the UB group brands.
He sought the court’s direction that the Bangalore team should not be allowed to play in the league till it changes its name.
Besides the UB Group, the petitioner has named the central government, information and broadcasting ministry and Sony TV, which has exclusive IPL telecast rights, as respondents.