A Kerala court has issued a bailable warrant against Divya Pharmacy, an affiliate of Patanjali Ayurved, along with its co-founder Baba Ramdev and managing director Acharya Balkrishna. The case pertains to misleading advertisements in English and Malayalam newspapers, falsely claiming that Patanjali products could cure high blood pressure and diabetes. The next hearing is scheduled for February 1, 2025.
The case was filed based on a Drug Inspector’s report under various sections of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. The Palakkad court had previously summoned Ramdev and Balkrishna to appear on January 16, but they failed to do so, leading to the issuance of the warrant. The case was originally registered in October 2024.
A similar case is pending in Kozhikode, where they were ordered to appear on June 3, 2024, but did not comply. The court then issued a repeat summons for August 6, 2024, which they also ignored. Additionally, another case has been filed against them in Haridwar.
Overall, at least 10 cases are registered against them in Kerala, including four in Kozhikode, three in Palakkad, two in Ernakulam, and one in Thiruvananthapuram, along with the case in Uttarakhand.
This legal action follows a warning from the Supreme Court to States and Union Territories about contempt proceedings if they fail to act against misleading advertisements.