The Supreme Court issued an interim order on Tuesday, placing a ban on advertisements for medicines produced by Patanjali Ayurved. The case, titled Indian Medical Association & Anr vs Union of India and Ors, was heard by a bench comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah.
The court stated that Patanjali has been deceiving the public with misleading claims about the efficacy of its medicines in curing certain diseases, despite lacking empirical evidence to support these assertions.
Consequently, the court directed Patanjali to cease all advertising and marketing of medicinal products that claim to treat specific ailments, as outlined in the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act. Moreover, the court issued a contempt of court notice to Patanjali’s founders, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, for disregarding previous court orders by persisting in disseminating false and misleading information regarding the curative properties of their products.
Balkrishna holds the position of Chief Executive Officer at Patanjali. The court also reprimanded the Central government for failing to address misleading advertisements, despite a petition concerning the matter being filed in 2022. Expressing frustration, the court remarked on the nationwide impact of the issue and questioned the government’s inaction over a period of two years, especially when the Drugs Act explicitly prohibits such practices.
