Patanjali: Relief for Ramdev and Balakrishna as SC closes contempt case against them
Accepting their apologies, the SC bench issued a stern warning stating that the contempt case would be reopened if any terms of their undertaking are breached in the future.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday closed contempt proceedings against Yoga guru and entrepreneur Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd’s managing director Balkrishna after accepting their unconditional apology and an undertaking, assuring the court that the company would refrain from issuing misleading advertisements and claims about its products.
The legal reprieve followed the submission of repeated apology affidavits by Ramdev and Balakrishna, alongside the publication of apologies in multiple newspapers across the country.
Accepting their apologies, a bench of justices Hima Kohli and Sandeep Mehta issued a stern warning stating that the contempt case would be reopened if any terms of their undertaking are breached in the future.
The contempt proceedings originated from a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against Ramdev and Balakrishna, founders of Patanjali Ayurved, for allegedly making misleading claims about the effectiveness and benefits of their products.
In a series of previous hearings on the IMA’s petition that also complained against Ramdev’s contentious comments about modern medicine, the Supreme Court expressed grave concern and emphasised the need for responsible discourse, especially during a pandemic such as Covid-19.
The court admonished Patanjali for spreading misinformation that could undermine public trust in the health care system and had recorded an undertaking by the company in November 2023 that it would stop running any misleading advertisements and issuing disparaging statements against modern or any other form of medicine.
However, the IMA came back to the bench with a video clip of a press conference held by Ramdev, and Patanjali advertisements in national media merely a day after their undertaking in the court on November 21 last year. Additionally, the association produced a series of advertisements branding Patanjali products as the cure for several ailments, including hypertension and diabetes.
Irked by the contravention of its order and its own assurance, the court by its subsequent orders of February 27, March 19, April 2 and April 10 called Ramdev and Balkrishna in person, asking them to show cause why they should not be punished for contempt of court. They have since filed a pair of apology affidavits each, but the court has not found them satisfactory and bona fide.
On April 10, the bench lambasted Ramdev and Balkrishna, refusing to accept their unconditional apology for issuing misleading advertisements and saying the judges did not want to be “so generous” after the duo was caught on the wrong foot with their “back to the wall”. On the day, it also came down heavily on the Uttarakhand government, saying the authorities kept their “eyes shut” by not cracking down on the company for violating advertising rules by making false claims about curing diseases such as diabetes and asthma.
On April 16, when the matter was heard last, the bench directly interacted with Ramdev and Balkrishna, telling them their plea of innocence or inadvertence cannot be accepted right away after they chose to flout court orders despite previous judicial warnings as it gave them a week to take suitable steps “to redeem themselves” and demonstrate their remorse. Ramdev and Balkrishna have so far submitted two affidavits of apology in court, besides a public apology in the media.
The court also reproached the Uttarakhand officials for acting “in cahoots” and failing to register cases against Patanjali for issuing advertisements promising cure for lifestyle and other specified ailments prohibited under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectional Advertisements) Act 1954, Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Rules 1955, and Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945.
Faced with the prospect of severe legal consequences, Ramdev and Balakrishna submitted multiple affidavits apologising unconditionally for their actions. They also made a public apology, which was published twice in several national newspapers.
In their apologies, the Patanjali founders acknowledged the gravity of their actions and assured the court that the company would no longer engage in any misleading advertising practices. They also committed to ensuring that all future advertisements and public statements would be thoroughly vetted for accuracy and would comply with all relevant laws and regulations.