The Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction on Tuesday over Patanjali Ayurved’s Managing Director’s failure to respond to previous notices regarding alleged violations of an undertaking on misleading advertising. Consequently, the Court directed Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna to appear personally in the next hearing. This development is perceived as a setback for Ramdev and Patanjali.
The apex court’s two-judge Bench, led by Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, made these remarks after hearing a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The IMA accused Patanjali of spreading misinformation by claiming to cure diseases like blood pressure, diabetes, and asthma through its advertisements.
Senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, representing Patanjali and Ramdev, objected strongly to the observations against his clients. However, the Court insisted on Ramdev’s personal appearance, despite Rohatgi’s arguments. The next hearing date is expected after the first week of April. In a previous hearing on February 27, the Court had temporarily banned Patanjali’s medicine advertisements and issued contempt notices to Ramdev and Balkrishna for making misleading claims. The Supreme Court restrained the company from advertising products related to diseases like blood pressure, diabetes, and asthma, citing violations of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
Post Your Comments