Supreme Court Drops Contempt Proceedings Against Patanjali Ayurved and its Co-Founders

The Supreme Court bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah on Tuesday closed the contempt of court charges against Patanjali Ayurved founders Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna. The apex court said that if there’s any breach of conditions stated in the undertaking, the court would reopen the Patanjali misleading advertisement case as per a Bar and Bench report. 

“Any future intransigence on their part, whether by act, deed or speech that could tantamount to violating the orders of the court or dishonouring the terms of the undertakings, shall be viewed strictly, and the ensuing consequences could indeed be grave. In that eventuality, the sword of contempt that has now been returned to rest in its sheath, shall be flourished as swiftly as these proceedings were originally initiated,” said Justice Kohli. 

The decision came after multiple apologies were made by the founders in the court and in different newspapers. 

“The court has closed the contempt proceedings based on the undertakings given by Ramdev, Balkrishna and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd,” said Advocate Gautam Talukdar, who represented the three. 

The contempt proceeding was started against them after they disobeyed the courts order. The bench called out the false ads related to Patanjali’s 14 products whose licences were suspended by the Uttarakhand government. Consequently, the court reprimanded the two founders for endorsing them. Additionally, the ads violated the provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act of 1954 and its rules.  

The Supreme Court had asked them to refrain from making “casual statements” in print or electronic media about the effectiveness of Patanjali’s products and making questionable claims against other disciplines of medicine. Ramdev held a press conference the very next day. 

The case dates to 2022, when Indian Medical Association (IMA) filed writ petition against Patanjali for publishing advertisements that looked down upon allopathy. Especially, during the COVID-19 pandemic Patanjali made claims that their ayurvedic products could completely cure certain diseases.