Smoking in public lands Shah Rukh Khan in trouble

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been issued a legal notice by an NGO for smoking in public during two recent events - the Twenty20 cricket match in Mumbai and Hindustan Times Summit in Delhi.The NGO, National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) issued legal notice to SRK for smoking in public during two recent events.

NOTE, an anti-tobacco NGO, which is already into a legal battle with mega superstar Amitabh Bachchan over his movie posters showing him smoking cigar,issued legal notice through its lawyer Friday.

The NGO has threatened to sue the King Khan for promoting smoking in public places, which is banned under the Anti-Tobacco Act.The notice to SRK has been issued under Sections 4 and 5 (3) of cigarette and other tobacco products (prohibition of advertisements and regulation of trade and commerce, production, supply and distribution) Act, 2003."Images of Shah Rukh Khan inhaling smoke were shown on Doordarshan during its telecast of the Twenty20 cricket match in Mumbai on October 20. The national television channel's telecast of such outrageous images is another act worth condemnation, "NOTE general secretary Dr Shekhar Salkar said.

Prior to this incident, SRK was shown sitting on the dais with a lighted cigarette in his hand during the Hindustan Times Summit in Delhi on October 12 and 13, NOTE said.

Incidentally, notice to SRK came on the day of the release of Anurag Kashyap's No Smoking, starring John Abraham.The film depicts the hazardous effects of tobacco consumption.