Court restrains Emami from airing oil ad on TV

New Delhi, June 18 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Monday restrained ayurvedic oil maker Emami Ltd. from airing a TV commercial of its "Navratan" oil featuring Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan.

The order was issued on the plea of another oil manufacturer G.K. Burman Herbal (India) Pvt Ltd. alleging that Emami's commercial degraded its product.

Justice Manmohan Singh in an ex-parte interim order directed Emami to stop all forms of the TV commercial.

Burman Herbal sought permanent injunction on "circulating, distributing, telecasting, broadcasting and advertising" any material defaming or maligning its product.

The petitioner alleged that Emami "knowingly and fraudulently" made the advertisement to harm the goodwill and reputation which they earned in the last 25 years.

"The sole motive of Emami is to drive out healthy competition from the market and to make illegal and unlawful gains," alleged the petitioner.