Supreme Court Summons Ramdev, Balkrishna in Patanjali's Misleading Ads Case

The Supreme Court has directed Patanjali Ayurved's managing director and yoga guru Baba Ramdev to appear in court for the next hearing in a case regarding misleading advertisements. This order comes after Patanjali failed to respond to a contempt notice.

The court also issued a separate notice to Baba Ramdev asking him to explain why they shouldn't hold him in contempt of court.

Earlier this year, the court expressed strong disapproval, highlighting that misleading ads for herbal cures were deceiving the entire country. They issued a contempt notice to Patanjali, questioning why the company shouldn't be held in contempt for seemingly violating its promise to the court about advertising and the effectiveness of their products.

The court also ordered the company and its officials to refrain from making public statements against any medical system. Additionally, they asked the central government what actions were taken against Patanjali for their allegedly false claims in advertisements about cures for various diseases.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had filed the case against Patanjali, founded by Baba Ramdev, accusing them of running a smear campaign against modern medicine.

Last November, Patanjali assured the court they would "henceforth not violate any laws, especially those related to advertising or branding of their products." They further promised to avoid any casual statements claiming medicinal benefits or criticizing other medical systems in the media.

This assurance came after the court warned them against making "false" and "misleading" claims about their medicines in advertisements.

Just last month, the court restricted Patanjali Ayurved from advertising or branding products that claim to treat ailments listed under the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act of 1954.