New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed yoga guru Ramdev and managing director of Patanjali Ayurved Acharya Balkrishna to appear before it after taking exception to the company’s failure to respond to notice issued in the contempt proceedings relating to advertisements of the firm’s products and their medicinal efficacy.
The apex court said it deemed appropriate to issue a show cause notice to Ramdev as the advertisements issued by Patanjali, which were in the teeth of the undertaking given to the court on November 21, 2023, reflect an endorsement by him.
A bench of justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah noted that Patanjali Ayurved, a company co-founded by Ramdev and dealing in herbal products, and Balkrishna have not filed replies to the notices issued earlier to show cause why contempt proceedings be not initiated against them for prima facie violating the undertaking given to the court.
The court directed them to personally appear before it at the next hearing.
The top court is hearing a plea of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) alleging a smear campaign by Ramdev against the Covid vaccination drive and modern system of medicine.
“In view of the facts and circumstances, it is deemed appropriate to direct the presence of the managing director of respondent no. 5 on the next date of hearing.” “Further, having gone through the advertisements issued by respondent 5 (Patanjali Ayurved) in the teeth of the undertaking given to this court on November 21, 2023 and on noticing that the said advertisements reflect an endorsement thereof by Acharya Ramdev, it is deemed appropriate to issue notice to show cause as to why contempt of court proceedings be not initiated against him in view of the fact that this court is of the prima facie opinion that he has also violated the provisions of section 3 and 4 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act,” it said.
Section 3 of the Act refers to prohibition of advertisement of certain drugs for treatment of certain diseases and disorders and Section 4 of the Act refers to prohibition of misleading advertisements relating to drugs.
On November 21 last year, the counsel representing the company had assured the court that “henceforth there shall not be any violation of any law(s), especially relating to advertising or branding of products manufactured and marketed by it and, further, that no casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine will be released to the media in any form”.