New Delhi : In recent developments, a bench comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah has called upon the managing director of Patanjali, Acharya Balkrishna, to appear before the court. This summons comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s scrutiny of Patanjali’s compliance with its previous commitments regarding product claims.
Last month, the Supreme Court raised concerns over what appeared to be a prima facie breach of the assurances Patanjali had made in court regarding the efficacy of its products and related statements. Following this, the court issued a notice to both Patanjali and its managing director, Acharya Balkrishna, seeking an explanation as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated.
Despite holding a press conference subsequent to the court’s previous order, Patanjali failed to file a response, prompting the court’s inquiry into the matter during a recent session. Expressing dissatisfaction over the lack of response, the court remarked, “Why haven’t you filed your response yet? We will ask the managing director to appear in the court during the next hearing.”
Furthermore, the court highlighted alleged prima facie violations of Sections 3 and 4 of the Drugs and Remedies Act by Ramdev and Balkrishna. These sections pertain to misleading advertisements of medicines. Consequently, a contempt notice was issued to Ramdev, co-founder of Patanjali, requiring an explanation for potential contempt of court.
In response to objections raised by senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, who represented Patanjali Ayurved, the court indicated that further deliberation on the matter would occur at the next hearing. The court’s stance suggests a firm commitment to addressing concerns surrounding Patanjali’s compliance and the alleged violations under scrutiny.
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