Stung by the 'pesticides report' on soft drinks by the Centre for Science and Environment, leading soft drinks manufacturer PepsiCo on Friday filed a writ petition in the Delhi high court seeking to restrain the non-government organisation from publishing the report.

Pepsi has also requested for an independent evaluation of the 'damaging' report.

The petition, filed by Pepsico India Holdings Ltd, Pearl Drinks and its director C K Jaipuria, has listed Union ministries of health, defence and food processing as respondents.

Also Read Soft drinks, hard truths

Other respondents mentioned in the petition are the Bureau of Indian Standards, CSE and its director Sunita Narain.

It has requested the high court to direct the government not to act on the basis of the CSE report alleging presence of pesticides in Indian colas and soft drinks much above the permitted levels as compared to the same products in European countries.

It requested the court to 'pass an ex-parte interim order directing the respondents not to act upon the report (dated August 5, 2003) titled 'Analysis of pesticide residue in soft drinks' in any manner.'

It also said that the government should immediately set up a committee of experts and refer the issue to determine the correctness and veracity of the CSE report and the mode in which the same was prepared.

Pepsico also requested the court to restrain CSE and its director Narain from publishing 'any unsubstantiated statements or materials against Pepsico and to forthwith withdraw all such material from circulation and from its Web site.'