Misleading Ads Case: SC Reserves Verdict On Contempt Case Against Ramdev, Patanjali MD

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved verdict on contempt notice issued to Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurveda MD Acharaya Balakrishana.

SC directed Patanjali to file an affidavit in court saying that they have withdrawn advertisements for the banned products and stopped their sale completely. 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved verdict on contempt notice issued to Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurveda MD Acharaya Balakrishana. The court gave Ramdev and Patanjali more time to withdraw all advertisements concerning the banned products.

The top court directed Patanjali to file an affidavit in court saying that they have withdrawn advertisements for the banned products and stopped their sale completely. 

At the outset Patyanjali's counsel Balbir Singh informed the top court that they have communicated to channels advertising for Patanjali's banned products to withdraw ads. 

The court said we are proposing that we will reserve verdict untill the affidavit is filed. 

In the earlier hearing, the top court while hearing the misleading advertisements case filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurveda expressed displeasure at continuation of misleading advertisements on various channels, internet and websites.

The court questioned Ramdev's Patanjali as to what it was doing to ensure that those agencies that are playing those ads stop running them. Patanjali informed the court that it shall come ready with a plan to deal with those misleading advertisements in the next hearing.

In an earlier hearing, the Uttarkhand government had told the court that it has suspended the manufacturing licenses of 14 products of Patanjali manufactured by Divya Pharmacy and filed a criminal complaint against the company, its Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna and co-founder Baba Ramdev under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954.

Today, the top court had asked Patanjali why the ads for these banned products continue and what action it is taking to ensure they stop running. Today, Patanjali asked for four more weeks to withdraw the products and stop advertisements.