On Saturday, a chief judicial magistrate in Pithoragarh sentenced three individuals, including the assistant manager of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, to six months in prison after a Patanjali food product failed a quality test. This case dates back to 2019 when a food safety inspector raised concerns about the quality of Patanjali Navratna Elaichi Soan Papdi being sold at Lila Dhar Pathak’s shop in Berinag’s main market. Subsequent sample collection and notices were issued to Kanaha Ji Distributor and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.
In December 2020, a laboratory in Rudrapur confirmed the substandard quality of the sweet, leading to legal action. Businessman Lila Dhar Pathak, distributor Ajay Joshi, and Patanjali assistant manager Abhishek Kumar were fined Rs 5,000, Rs 10,000, and Rs 25,000 respectively, along with their prison sentences. This case follows recent scrutiny where the Supreme Court questioned Patanjali Ayurved Ltd about the suspension of manufacturing licenses for 14 of its products by the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority.
Senior advocate Balbir Singh, representing Patanjali, assured the court that the sale of the suspended products had ceased. The court has requested Patanjali, along with Balkrishna and Ramdev, to file affidavits within three weeks detailing the steps taken to recall advertisements for these products. The bench reserved orders on the contempt notice issued to the respondents, adding that Ramdev and Balkrishna would not need to appear in court until further notice.
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