Uttarakhand HC notice to Jaipur institute, Patanjali over Covid-19 cure claim
Advocate Mani Kumar, petitioner in the case, said the HC served a notice to NIMS University as trials of ayurvedic medicines were conducted by it. “Besides the two, central and state governments have been directed to submit their counter-affidavits by July 13, when the matter will be heard again.”
The Uttarakhand high court on Wednesday issued notices to Patanjali Ayurved and National Institute of Medical Science (NIMS) University, Jaipur to reply on July 13 on a PIL alleging that Swami Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna claimed to have found ayurvedic medicine Coronil for curing Covid-19 though they had not sought permission from the authorities concerned regarding the same.

Advocate Mani Kumar, petitioner in the case, said the HC served a notice to NIMS University as trials of ayurvedic medicines were conducted by it. “Besides the two, central and state governments have been directed to submit their counter-affidavits by July 13, when the matter will be heard again.”
Assistant solicitor general Rakesh Thapliyal, who is representing the Centre in the case, confirmed that notices were issued to NIMS University and Patanjali Ayurved, central and state governments.
US Nagar-based Mani Kumar Kumar, in his PIL, has alleged that Patanjali’s Divya Pharmacy had sought permission for immunity boosters, but they claimed on June 23 to have found ayurvedic medicine Coronil for curing Covid-19 .
Kumar said the Rajasthan government has also stated that it hadn’t given any permission for clinical trials at NIMS Jaipur. “Ramdev had stated that his company had developed the ayurvedic medicine in collaboration with privately-owned NIMS.”
On June 23, Ramdev had announced ‘Coronil’ and ‘Swasari’ as a cure for Covid-19, stressing that they “conducted a clinical case study and clinical controlled trial, and found 69 per cent of patients recovered in three days and 100 patients recovered in seven days”.
On Wednesday, Ramdev reaffirmed that Patanjali followed all legal procedures in carrying out clinical control trials of the drugs on Covid-19 positive patients. After successful clinical control drug trials on asymptomatic and patients with mild symptoms, Patanjali also carried out advanced stage research on serious patients, he said.
ABOUT THE AUTHORNeeraj SantoshiNeeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

E-Paper


