The Allahabad High Court has summoned the designated officer from Uttar Pradesh's food safety and drug administration department to address the continued presence of banned "Chinese garlic" in the market.

During a session on Friday, the Lucknow bench, led by Justices Rajan Roy and O.P. Shukla, inquired about the government's measures to prevent such prohibited items from entering the country.

They also sought clarification from the Centre's counsel regarding any ongoing investigations to trace the source of this garlic and the strategies in place to prevent its importation.

This order followed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by lawyer Motilal Yadav, who alleged that "Chinese garlic" remains widely available in Lucknow and poses health risks. The petitioner presented approximately half a kilogram of the banned garlic alongside regular garlic during the proceedings