[JURIST] The Indian government filed a lawsuit late Tuesday against Nestlé India with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) [official websites] for unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements. The government seeks [Times of India report] 6,400 million rupees ($98.6 million) in damages. Earlier this summer, the Indian arm of Nestlé Global [corporate website] recalled the Maggi instant noodle brand for high lead and monosodium glutamate (MSG) content, which spurred the government to sue the company for endangering the health of the population with unsafe food product. Nestlé India issued a statement [press release] after the original recall, assuring that it only removed Maggi noodles from store shelves because of customer confusion regarding rumors of unsafe products and emphasized the safety of its food. In response to the complaint, Nestlé India released another statement [press release] that expressed disappointment in the lawsuit, and stated that its Maggi product has lead levels below the legal limit and no MSG.

In addition to investigating potential corruption in consumer practices, the Indian government has often faced allegations of malfeasance against many public officials. Last month the government ordered an investigation [JURIST report] into the deaths of several individuals related to a college admission and government recruitment scandal. In late 2014, an Indian court sentenced [JURIST report] Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram to four years in prison for corruption in a case that was filed 18 years ago, but was quickly overturned by the High Court of Kanartaka, which cleared [JURIST reports] all charges on appeal. Also in 2014, Indian president Pranab Mukherjee signed into law [JURIST report] a landmark anti-graft bill. In 2013 India’s supreme court ruled [JURIST report] that elected representatives convicted of serious crimes must immediately vacate their positions and be disqualified from future elections. A few months later, an MP was convicted [JURIST report] of criminal conspiracy and cheating, and under the recent ruling, was disqualified from holding office and faced four years in jail.