Pepsi withdraws suit against CSE

Pepsi yesterday withdrew from the Delhi High Court its petition challenging the findings of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) that colas in the country contained high level of pesticides. The company said it had "full faith" in the Joint Parliamentary Committee probing the issue.

The petition was declared "dismissed as withdrawn" by Justice BD Ahmed, who on August 11 had directed the government to conduct laboratory tests of the samples of Pepsi's products, stating that the issue concerned public health.

During the pendency of the petition, the JPC was constituted to probe the issue, and the government received the laboratory tests of the samples.

The JPC inquiry is still on and the parties concerned have been given the opportunity present their documents and submissions.

Maintaining that it had "great respect and full faith in the JPC and believes that their submissions will be given due consideration by it," Pepsi in its affidavit said "in view of the developments that have taken place since the filing of the petition, it would be in the interest of justice that the petitioners (Pepsi) present their case before the JPC".