New Delhi, July 7: After Procter and Gamble and Godrej GE, now its Bharat Shell's turn to drag its competitor to the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC).

Bharat Shell, a joint venture between Bharat Petroleum and Shell Overseas Investment, has approached the commission to restrain Castrol India from making ``disparaging advertisements'' about its competitors. Earlier last month Procter and Gamble and Godrej GE had moved MRTPC against Hindustan Lever and Whirlpool respectively to restrain the companies from making ``false'' claims about their products.

According to Shell's complaint, Castrol had brought out an advertisement saying ``you could make a lubricant in our kitchen kadai or at the road side halwai by mixing additives in base oil like many manufacturers do. What separates a leader from the pack, the halwai from the specialist''.

Shell complaint said the advertisements also carried pictures of dogs, with Castrol as the biggest dog and five other competitors including Shell as smaller dogs. Meanwhile, the commission has issued a notice of inquiry against Castrol to find out whether the company has been indulging in unfair trade practices under section 36a of the MRTP Act, dealing with unfair trade practices.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.