Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh High Court on August 8 dismissed with costs a public interest writ petition seeking a ban on supply of soft drinks including Coca Cola and Pepsi in the state, in the wake of reports of pesticide residues in the bottled soft drinks.

The petition was filed by K Krishna Vijay, secretary of Indian Young Lawyers' Forum, an unregistered organisation.

While dismissing the petition, Chief Justice Devender Gupta observed that the petitioner made wild and serious allegations merely on the basis of media reports.

The petitioner was also not prepared to own responsibility for scientific analysis made by Delhi-based NGO Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which raised the stink over pesticide residues.

The court concluded that the petitioner had filed the petition to gain "cheap publicity but not to serve any public interest".

The judge imposed costs to the tune of Rs 10,000 on the petitioner.

PTI