Delhi High Court: In an application filed by Alpino Health Foods Pvt. Ltd. (‘Alpino Health’) under Order read with Section of the (‘CPC’) to seek vacation/setting aside of the ex-parte ad interim injunction order dated 29-08-2024, a Single Judge Bench of Mini Pushkarna, J. issued notice to Marico Limited (‘Marico’) and allowed it to file a reply within four weeks.
Background
A suit was filed by Marico seeking permanent injunction to restrain Alpino Health from disparagement, unfair trade practices and damages, etc. wherein it submitted that while keeping in mind its philosophy of promoting healthy lifestyle by providing healthy food options to the public, it launched “Saffola Oats” which consisted of 100 percent rolled oats made from high quality natural wholegrain oats.
Marico also submitted its market share as well as the sales figure and said that any campaign being run against oats as a food product, would directly impact its trade and cause irreparable harm while causing disparagement of “Saffola Oats”.
In a desperate attempt to pitch and establish its ready-to-eat food product against the regular rolled oats, Alpino Health was running a brazen and bizarre advertisement campaign against the entire oats category wherein it was comparing the natural characteristic of oats to choona, alleged Marico.
It was contended that the intent of the impugned advertisements by Alpino Health was to maliciously slander, denigrate, and disparage oats and to spread misinformation by saying that oats are poisonous or unsuitable for human consumption, etc.
Marico also submitted that rolled oats are susceptible to some degree of breakage and crushing during transportation and storage, which results into fine cream-colored particles that are simply smaller pieces of the original oat flakes. Marico found it important to mention that this is not an indication of any adulteration, as was conveyed by Alpino Health through its advertisement campaign.
The Court analyzed the circumstances and held that Marico had demonstrated a prima facie case for the grant of injunction and if no ex-parte ad interim injunction is granted, it would suffer an irreparable loss. Accordingly, Alpino Health was restrained from publishing, sharing, forwarding, or communicating the impugned advertisement to the public either through social media platforms or in any other manner that would disparage oats as a category of foods by order dated 29-10-2024.
The present application was filed by Alpino Health to seek vacation of the order dated 29-10-2024. It contended that Marico had suppressed material facts from the Court and on account of the same, the Court was misled to grant an injunction order without giving an opportunity to Alpino Health to be heard.
Decision
The Court issued notice to Marico. Upon request, the Court allowed Marico to file a reply within four weeks and directed the rejoinder to be filed within one week, thereafter.
The present application is to be re-notified on 30-01-2025.
[Marico Ltd. v. Alpino Health Foods Pvt. Ltd., CS(OS) 872 of 2024, Decided on 13-12-2024]
Judgment by Justice Mini Pushkarna
Advocates who appeared in this case :
For Plaintiff — Advocate Ankur Sangal, Advocate Raghu Sinha
For Defendant — Sr. Advocate Satvik Varma, Advocate Nakul Gandhi, Advocate Mujeeb, Advocate Arindam Bhardwaj, Advocate Shantanu Parmar, Advocate Balram
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