It was issued on Saturday, 1 February, after Ramdev and Balkrishna failed to appear before the court on the same day even after it had issued a bailable warrant asking them to appear before it.
Published Feb 02, 2025 | 11:54 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 02, 2025 | 11:54 AM
Baba Ramdev (Wikimedia Commons)
The Judicial First Class Magistrate II in the Palakkad district of Kerala issued non-bailable warrants to Patanjali Ayurved founders Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna in connection with a case alleging violations of drug advertisement laws through misleading claims of miraculous benefits.
It was issued on Saturday, 1 February, after they failed to appear before the court on the same day even after it had issued a bailable warrant asking them to appear before it.
The case, filed by the Kerala drugs inspector, accuses Divya Pharmacy of promoting false claims about Patanjali products curing high blood pressure and diabetes, violating the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
Sources say similar cases are ongoing in Kozhikode and Haridwar, Uttarakhand, with multiple summons issued, but neither Ramdev nor Balakrishna has appeared in court for any of them.
In Kerala, 10 cases are pending across various districts. The Palakkad case is now scheduled for 15 February.
Self-styled yoga guru Ramdev was previously summoned to appear before the court on 16 January but failed to comply. Subsequently, the court issued a bailable warrant on the same day and directed him to appear in person on 1 February to seek bail.
Ramdev and Balkrishna, the president and general secretary of the Divya Yog Mandir Trust, respectively, are facing legal trouble under Section 3(d) of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
This law prohibits advertisements prescribing medicines for health issues covered under the Act.
The cases stem from a complaint filed by public health activist Dr KV Babu. Acting on the complaint, the State Drugs Controller of Kerala initiated a crackdown in October 2023, targeting misleading advertisements by the Patanjali Group.
Kerala has taken the lead in pursuing legal action, filing 10 out of the total 11 cases against Patanjali Group across the country. Cases have been registered in several districts, including Palakkad (three), Ernakulam (two), and Thiruvananthapuram (one). The first case was lodged in the Kozhikode First-Class Magistrate Court-4.
The Kozhikode court first considered the case on 14 January but adjourned it to 15 April due to the non-appearance of the accused. The case marks a significant milestone as it is the first such case in India filed under this provision.
This crackdown highlights increasing scrutiny of advertising practices in the healthcare sector. With 11 cases filed nationwide, the Patanjali Group faces mounting pressure to address allegations of misleading advertisements.
The legal actions against the Patanjali Group signal a broader effort to enforce regulations and protect consumers from deceptive claims.
The outcome of these cases is expected to set a precedent for addressing similar violations in the future.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil, with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman.)
