Supreme Court closes contempt case against Patanjali Ayurved, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna
New Delhi, August 13
The Supreme Court on Tuesday closed contempt proceedings against Patanjali Ayurved and its co-founders Baba Ramdev and his close aide Acharya Balkrishna in the misleading advertisements case after they undertook to cease issuing misleading advertisements and claims regarding the company’s products.
A Bench led by Justice Hima Kohli said the contempt proceedings were being closed accepting the apology tendered by the parties after they took steps to rectify their mistake.
The Bench – which also included Ahsanuddin Amanullah — however, warned them against repeating their past conduct, saying it would reopen the proceedings if they did anything in future in violation of its orders.
The top court had initiated contempt proceedings against Patanjali Ayurved, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna on a petition filed by Indian Medical Association (IMA) against Patanjali’s advertisements attacking allopathy and making claims about curing certain diseases.
On March 19, it had ordered the personal appearance of Ramdev and Balkrishna after being told that the replies to the contempt notice were not filed.
Ramdev and Balkrishna had assured the court on November 21, 2023, that they would not make any “casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy, or against any system of medicine”. But the very next day Ramdev held a press conference and said remedies for blood pressure were “lies spread by allopathy”. On December 4, the company had issued a similar advertisement, inviting the wrath of the top court.
The court had on February 27 this year issued a contempt notice to Patanjali Ayurved, its managing director Balkrishna and Ramdev for flouting earlier orders and taking the entire country for a ride.
The top court had temporarily restrained Patanjali Ayurved from advertising or branding its products meant to address diseases/disorders specified in the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
