“Rs 1 Crore penalty for each product with false claim”: Supreme Court takes a strong stand against Patanjali

The Supreme Court on Tuesday warned Patanjali Ayurved, run by yoga guru Ramdev, about making “misleading” claims in advertisements. The court said that every product will be subject to a fine of ₹1 crore if a false claim is made that it can heal a certain condition.

On August 23, this year, the top court issued notice to Patanjali Ayurved, a company that deals in herbal products and was co-founded by yoga Guru Ramdev. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had filed a plea, claiming that Ramdev had launched a smear campaign against modern medicines and the vaccination push. Notifications were also sent to the Ministry of Ayush and the Union Health Ministry in addition to Patanjali.

Patanjali Ayurved was ordered by the Supreme Court on Tuesday to “immediately cease all such false and misleading” marketing. During hearing the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) case, a bench made up of justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra stated inarticulately, “The court will take any such infraction very seriously”.

The bench requested that Patanjali Ayurved refrain from publishing deceptive statements and ads disparaging contemporary medical systems throughout the brief hearing. The top court asked the Center’s attorney to find a solution to the problem of deceptive medical advertisements where claims are made about medicines that offer perfect cures for specific diseases. The bench may also consider fining every product if a false claim is made that it can cure a particular ailment.

The IMA plea will now be heard by the bench on February 5. The Supreme Court severely criticized Ramdev for criticizing allopathy and allopathic practitioners, saying he should be prevented from mistreating medical professionals and alternative treatment modalities, while also issuing notices over the case.