SC junks Kerala govt's appeal against PepsiCo

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the Kerala High Court verdict quashing an order of a panchayat that canceled the licence of soft-drinks major Pepsi's plant at Kanjikode in Palakaad district. A Bench headed by Justice Arijit Passayat dismissed the appeal filed by the state government against the HC judgement, which held that the Puthussery panchayat had no jurisdiction under the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act in the matter of issuing, renewal or cancellation of license since the area had been excluded from the Act's purview.