Patanjali Ayurved issued a formal apology to the Supreme Court on Thursday for disseminating misleading claims and advertisements regarding the medicinal efficacy of its products. This development follows the initiation of proceedings against Baba Ramdev, the prominent yoga guru and co-founder of Patanjali, after he failed to respond to a contempt notice regarding the deceptive advertisements.

A bench comprising Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah directed Acharya Balkrishna, the managing director of Patanjali Ayurved, and Baba Ramdev to personally appear in court on April 2.

The Supreme Court expressed its displeasure, noting that the advertisements issued by Patanjali contradicted an undertaking given to the court on November 21, 2023. The bench highlighted that these advertisements seemingly bore an endorsement by Baba Ramdev himself.

The court deemed it appropriate to issue a show cause notice to Ramdev, indicating its inclination to initiate contempt of court proceedings against him. This action is based on the prima facie opinion that Ramdev violated sections 3 and 4 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act. These sections pertain to the prohibition of advertisement of certain drugs for treating specific diseases and the prohibition of misleading drug-related advertisements, respectively.

During the hearing, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Patanjali and Balkrishna, assured the court that discussions had taken place regarding the matter. However, the bench emphasized the seriousness of the issue, directing the respondents to file their replies to the notice by the specified deadline.

Furthermore, the court permitted the Centre, represented by Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, to withdraw its earlier additional affidavit. The Centre was granted two weeks to submit a fresh affidavit detailing the actions taken in compliance with the court’s order issued on November 21, 2023.

In response to Rohatgi’s assertion that Ramdev holds no official position in Patanjali Ayurved and that no new advertisements were released, the bench maintained its stance. It reiterated that the reasons for issuing the notice to Ramdev were clearly outlined in the court’s order, signaling that no further interference was warranted.

The proceedings stem from a plea filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), alleging a smear campaign by Ramdev against the Covid vaccination drive and modern medicine.