Remember the hue and cry last year when Montblanc launched a series of pens with Mahatma Gandhi's image? The German firm has now apologised and given its assurance to a court that it will not sell those pens, according to a report.

Montblanc International GmbH, Germany, gave an undertaking before a division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday that its “Mahatma Gandhi Limited Edition 241” and “Mahatma Gandhi Limited Edition 3000” luxury pens would not be sold in the country until further orders from the court, the Hindu reported.

The bench of Acting Chief Justice P.R. Raman and Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair asked counsel for the company and its Rajkot-based distributor to give the undertaking in an affidavit within three days.

Counsel for the company gave the undertaking when a petition seeking a ban on the marketing and sale of the pens in the country came up for hearing. The petition was filed by Dijo Kappen, managing trustee, Centre for Consumer Education, Kottayam.

In the affidavit, the company and its distributor tendered an unconditional apology if the sentiments of any of the citizens were hurt, the report said.

They said that they had no intention to exploit the name of Mahatma Gandhi or to bring any disrepute to the Father of the Nation. They “never believed for a moment that they would hurt the susceptibilities of certain segments of the public and regret the present controversy.”

The affidavit said the company had great regard for Mahatma Gandhi as the Father of the Nation and the writing instruments were “intended to pay homage to Gandhi and to his vision and legacy.”