Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday refused to stay the state government order banning the manufacture and sale of Coca Cola and Pepsi.
A division bench, comprising Chief Justice V K Bali and Justice M Ramachandran, posted the case for final hearing on September 11.
Even though the counsels of the two soft drinks majors -- Coca Cola and PepsiCo -- insisted for an interim stay order, the bench said the matter will be finally decided after hearing all the parties.
In separate petitions the Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Ltd and Pepsi India Holdings Private Ltd had sought quashing the state government's ban order of August 10 and order of the Director of Health Services of August 11.
While counsel for the petitioners pressed for a stay, the court said it was not inclined to pass an interim order, as, this being a controversial matter, a detailed hearing was required.
The cola majors have moved the court contending that the Central Government alone had the power to prohibit food articles on the ground that they were injurious to health.
The state government did not have the power to pass such an order, they said.
They also termed the Kerala Government's decision 'arbitrary' and said no independent inquiry had been held into allegations that there were excessive pesticide residues in the beverages.
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