Breather for Ramdev, Acharya Balakrishna in Patanjali ads case; Supreme Court closes contempt case

The Supreme Court has dropped contempt of court charges against Patanjali Ayurved and its founders, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna. This follows earlier strictures for misleading advertisements that contradicted evidence-based medicine. 

In a significant relief for Patanjali Ayurved and its founders, Baba Ramdev, and Acharya Balkrishna, the Supreme Court dropped the contempt of court charges against them on Tuesday (Aug 13). Previously, the court had imposed strictures on Ramdev and Acharya for the company's deceptive advertisements that contradicted evidence-based medicine. They had been found in violation of their earlier commitment not to broadcast or publish such misleading ads.

The court, comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, delivered its verdict and concluded the contempt proceedings. The Ayurved company and its founders had requested forgiveness from the court for their transgression. Ramdev had earlier apologised for his November 2023 press conference, where he discussed the case after the court had issued strictures against Patanjali Ayurved.

The Supreme Court launched the case after the Indian Medical Association (IMA) filed a plea alleging that there was a smear campaign against the COVID-19 vaccination drive and modern medicine.

Earlier this year, in February, the Court took action against the company and its representative, Balkrishna, for making false claims in their advertisements, issuing a temporary advertising ban and contempt notices. Last November, the Supreme Court warned Patanjali Ayurved that it would slap a penalty of Rs 1 crore for every misleading claim made in their ads, targeting products that falsely claimed to cure various diseases.

The Supreme Court also ordered Patanjali to refrain from publishing deceptive ads going forward. The case centered on three key aspects: Patanjali's misleading advertising, the regulatory bodies' inaction against the company, and the corrective measures required from Patanjali and its promoters, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna.

The Court's focus subsequently expanded to encompass broader concerns, including deceptive advertising by other consumer goods companies and unethical practices within the modern medicine industry.