SC on Patanjali: 'Want to set an example for companies who play with consumer's naivete'
In a court hearing today on the Patanjali misleading ad case, the Supreme Court of India came down heavily on the company dismissing the ‘unconditional apology’
Patanjali Ayurved, owned by Baba Ramdev, has found itself in a challenging situation, as the Supreme Court has strongly criticized the company for its deceptive practices. The court had ordered the company to file affidavits again in the last hearing, which as per reports, were out in the media before being uploaded in front of the court.
The bench reportedly said, "Till the matter hit the Court, the contemnors did not find it fit to send us the (fresh apology) affidavits. They sent it to the media first. Till 7:30 pm yesterday it was not uploaded for us. They believe in publicity clearly."
This didn’t sit well with Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, who said that the court feels the apology is not genuine and it’s just on paper. “They are only on paper after they were caught on the wrong foot in court. We decline to accept this. We consider it a wilful, deliberate disobedience of the undertaking," said the judges.
The bench went ahead and said, they want to set an example for other companies to play with consumer’s naivete: “Message has to go to society at large. Not just about one FMCG, but violation of the law. You said High Court said no coercive steps against us. We are making it a part of your conduct, the larger picture is your conduct with the public at large.”
The court had ordered Baba Ramdev and Managing Director Acharya Balakrishna to appear in the court however they failed to do so citing that they’ll be able to join virtually. The Court raised concerns about a statement in the apology affidavit, indicating that Ramdev and Balkrishna intended to appear virtually due to confusion, as the travel tickets were issued just a day after filing the intervention application for virtual appearance.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Ramdev and Balkrishna, has asked the court for a hearing till next week.
The Patanjali 'misleading ad' case
In November 2023, the Supreme Court, in response to a plea filed by the IMA, issued a notice to Patanjali Ayurveda directing it to not release any ‘misleading’ advertisements or make statements adverse to allopathy. In the plea, the IMA had accused Patanjali of defaming evidence-based medicine. The petition by IMA requested the court to control the "smear campaign" and negative advertisements against the vaccination drive and modern medicines.
Patanjali came under fire again on February 27 when the Supreme Court issued a contempt notice to the company and its Managing Director Acharya Balakrishna for violation of its previous order.
