SC summons Patanjali founder Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna for next hearing in false advertising case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna to appear in court after they failed to file a reply to a show cause notice in the contempt proceedings relating to advertising of the company's products and their medicinal efficacy.

A Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah also remarked that both Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna were prima facie in violation of Sections 3 and 4 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, according to Bar and Bench.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) that alleged a smear campaign by Ramdev against the vaccination drive and modern medicines.

In November last year, the Supreme Court said it would impose a fine of ₹1 crore per false claim made in each advertisement for Patanjali Ayurved products that claim to cure diseases.

A Bench led by Justice Amanullah had then stressed that the issue could not be reduced to a debate between allopathy/modern medicine and Ayurvedic products.

Last month on 27 February, the top court had passed an interim verdict saying Patanjali had violated its November 2023 undertaking by continuing to publish misleading advertisements.