New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has issued summons for the personal appearance of Yogrishi Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, Managing Director of Patanjali Ayurved, following the ayurvedic company’s failure to respond to a contempt notice concerning the continued publication of misleading advertisements.
A Bench headed by Justice Hima Kohli highlighted that Patanjali Ayurved did not reply to the contempt notice issued against it for allegedly violating an undertaking given to the apex court last November.
On February 27, the Bench, comprising Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, initiated contempt proceedings against Acharya Balkrishna and Patanjali, noting that they had prima facie violated the earlier undertaking.
Previously, Patanjali had assured the Supreme Court that it would refrain from making any causal statements regarding the medicinal efficacy of its products or advertising them in violation of the law. The company also pledged not to release any statements against any system of medicine to the media.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had filed a plea seeking action against Patanjali for allegedly violating the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. This Act prohibits the advertisement of certain products for the treatment of specified diseases and disorders, including diabetes, heart diseases, high or low blood pressure, and obesity.
Furthermore, several First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed against Yoga guru Baba Ramdev across multiple states over his controversial comments regarding allopathic treatment of Covid-19. In a video, Baba Ramdev had stated, “More people have died due to allopathic medicines than due to lack of medical oxygen or shortage of beds.”