New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday accepted the apology by Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna and Patanjali Ayurved Limited after accepting the apology tendered by them in the misleading advertisements case and closed contempt proceedings against them.
A bench comprising Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Sandeep Mehta, while closing the contempt proceedings, warned them not to do anything in violation of the court orders and directed that the affidavits tendered before the court should be followed with full truth.
Apex court earlier reserved its order
The court had earlier reserved its orders after it was submitted by the advocate representing Patanjali, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Bal Kishan that they have withdrawn all misleading advertisements from online platforms and also stopped sale of products whose licences have been suspended.
Contempt proceedings were initiated by the apex court on a plea by IMA
The contempt proceedings against Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna were initiated by the apex court on a plea filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) alleging Patanjali’s advertisements targeting allopathy and running a campaign against the Covid vaccination drive.
What happened earlier in the case?
Patanjali assured the top court in November last year that it would refrain from making such advertisements, however, the top court noted that the misleading advertisements by Patanjali continued and issued contempt notice to Patajali, Ramdev and Balkrishna.
The top court earlier come down hard on Ramdev and Balkrishna and had rejected their affidavits.
The apex court while taking strong objection to failure of Patanjali Ayurveda and its managing director Balkrishna in filing replies to its notices issued to them earlier sought personal appearance of Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna before it in the contempt proceedings.
The top court, while saying that company is prima facie in violation of an undertaking given by it to Supreme Court with respect to ‘misrepresentation for various products with regard to their purported medicinal efficacy’, had issued notice to Patanjali Ayurveda managing director Acharya Balakrishnan and Patanjali Ayurveda company for violating its orders.
The apex court, during the earlier hearing into the matter, had come down heavily on Patanjali Ayurved and its managing director and had banned Patanjali Ayurveda from issuing misleading advertisements in media with respect to permanent cures from diseases like Blood pressure, arthritis, asthma and others.
