Kerala Court Summons Baba Ramdev and Associates Over Misleading Medical Claims in Advertisements
The Kozhikode judicial first class magistrate court-IV has summoned yoga guru and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd co-founder, Baba Ramdev, along with his associate Acharya Balkrishna and Divya Pharmacy, a Patanjali Ayurved affiliate, to appear in court on June 3. This summons relates to a petition from the Kerala drugs control department, alleging the dissemination of misleading advertisements claiming their products offer medical cures for various diseases.
This directive follows a complaint lodged by a drugs inspector under sections 3(b) and 3(d) of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act. The action by the state drugs control department was initiated after Kannur-based ophthalmologist Dr. K V Babu filed a petition on September 30, 2023, citing violations of the Act through misleading newspaper advertisements.
As a result of this complaint, a probe was conducted, leading to 29 cases being filed, including four in Kozhikode. The court is now addressing the first of these cases.
Dr. Babu also reported the issue to the Prime Minister’s Office, which forwarded it to the Ayush ministry. The complaint was then sent to the Uttarakhand Licensing Authority, prompting the Uttarakhand state government to file a complaint through the Ayurvedic Unani Adhikari with the Haridwar chief judicial magistrate court. Consequently, Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna, Divya Pharmacy, and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd have been ordered to appear in court on June 7.
Additionally, Patanjali, Ramdev, and Acharya Balkrishna are facing contempt proceedings from the Supreme Court for publishing misleading and objectionable advertisements regarding their ayurvedic products.
Share your news, articles, deals, columns, or press releases with us! Click the link to submit and join our platform today.
