New Delhi: Two days before the first meeting of Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probing pesticides- colas controversy is scheduled to take place, a legal notice was served to Pepsi and Coca-Cola, asking them to immediately stop their sales in India or else face $ 10 billion in damages on the grounds of causing health hazards.

The notice was served to Coca-Cola at its Atlanta office and to PepsiCo at New York on behalf of Lok Sabha MP and member of the JPC, Avtar Singh Bhadhana, his solicitor Surat Singh said in New Delhi.

Bhadhana claimed support of at least 12 more MPs and said the notice states that these companies should stay away from distributing or selling their cold drinks in India and recall any products, which are already in the market by September 15 till the JPC gives a clean chit on the safety standards of their soft drinks.

As an alternative, he reserved the right to slap a class action suit demanding $ 10 billion or around Rs 50,000 crores as a compensation.

Bhadhana said if the two companies failed to stop their sales by September 15, he would raise the issue before the JPC in its first meeting.

However, if the JPC concludes that the drinks satisfy international safety standards, he would not have any claim against the company.

Bhadhana and 12 more MPs have also urged President A P J Abdul Kalam to stop the sale of these soft drinks with immediate effect.

PTI