Baba Ramdev and Patanjali MD Acharya Balkrishna (File photo) Three years after Patanjali published misleading advertisements, the accused, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna , have not appeared in any court despite summons being issued in cases filed against them. Their lawyer appeared in a Palakkad court for two cases just a week after a bailable warrant was issued against them in one of the cases in the same court. In a Haridwar court, none of the accused turned up for four hearings despite summons, but no action has been taken.
On January 15, the Supreme Court warned states and union territories of contempt proceedings for failing to act against misleading advertisements. The issue of misleading advertisement came up when the court was hearing a case filed by the Indian Medical Association against Patanjali Ayurved Ltd alleging a smear campaign against modern medicine by the company and its proprietors. The apex court took up the issue of misleading ads being published or displayed in violation of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
A senior lawyer appointed to assist the court informed the court that affidavits filed by states and union territories showed that virtually no action was being taken for violation of the 1954 law. Despite Dr KV Babu, an ophthalmologist and RTI activist, flagging the misleading ads as a violation of DMR(OA), 1956 as far back as 2021, Patanjali and Baba Ramdev continued with the ads. “After the written assura.
