Uttarakhand HC quashes summons to Patanjali, Ramdev in complaint over allegedly misleading ads
The Uttarakhand High Court has quashed a trial court's summons to Patanjali Ayurved and its co-founders, yoga guru Ramdev and Balkrishna, in a complaint accusing them of publishing misleading advertisements to promote various products.
In an order dated June 3, Justice Vivek Bharti Sharma allowed a petition filed by Patanjali Ayurved, Ramdev and Balkrishna under Section 582 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita to quash summons issued to them by the Haridwar chief judicial magistrate.
Section 582 deals with the powers of the High Court to prevent abuse of the process of any court.
The 'misleading advertisements' case stems from a complaint filed last year by Uttarakhand's food security officer.
In the complaint, the officer cited letters from the Ministry of Ayush issued in 2022, Live Law reported.
These letters noted that several Patanjali medicines, including Madhugrit, Madhunashini and Divya Livogrit Tablet, were promoted through allegedly misleading advertisements.
The complaint alleged offenses under Sections 3, 4 and 7 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies Objectionable Advertisements Act.
Section 3 of the Act prohibits the advertisement of certain drugs for the treatment of specific diseases and disorders, while Section 4 bans misleading advertisements related to drugs. Section 7 outlines the penalties for these offenses.
Justice Sharma in his order said that there was 'no evidence of falsity of claim, no allegation of falsity of claim nor there is any description of manner how that is misleading'.
'Merely writing letter to the petitioner firm that the advertisement should be removed without stating specifically that the claim made in the advertisements were false, does not give reasons to prosecute the petitioner firm,' the court said.
The order also stated that there was no occasion for the trial court to take the cognisance and issue summons to the petitioners as there was no allegation about how the advertisement was false and misleading.
In April 2024, the Supreme Court had criticised the state government for not taking action against Patanjali Ayurved and its subsidiary Divya Pharmacy under the Drugs and Magic Remedies Objectionable Advertisements Act for the publication of allegedly misleading advertisements.
The state government had filed the complaint against Patanjali Ayurved, Ramdev and Balkrishna following the Supreme Court's observations.
The High Court, in its order on June 3, observed that the state government cannot rely on the Supreme Court's remarks in the case against Patanjali Ayurved.
The complaint had to be assessed solely on the basis of the allegations raised in it and the materials supporting it, the court added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Agent who sent Pb youth to US via ‘dunki route' denied bail
Chandigarh: The special court of additional district and sessions judge, Neetika Verma, in Mohali has rejected the regular bail application of a Delhi-based travel agent accused of sending a youth to the US via the illegal 'dunki route'. The case has put human trafficking networks operating under the guise of overseas job placements in the spotlight once again. The bail plea of Gagandeep Singh (36), a resident of Delhi's Tilak Nagar, was dismissed by the special court, with the NIA strongly opposing the bail on grounds of the severity and implications of the alleged crime. Gagandeep Singh is accused of illegally facilitating the travel of Gursewak Singh, a resident of Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran district, to the US through the perilous dunki route — via Spain, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico — after allegedly charging Rs 45 lakh under the pretext of providing a valid visa. According to the FIR registered on Feb 18, under Section 13 of the Punjab Travel Professionals (Regulation) Act, 2014, and Section 318 of the BNS, 2023, Gursewak was eventually captured by US border patrol authorities before he could cross into US territory and was detained for 19 days. He was deported and returned to India on Feb 15. In its order, the court observed: "The offence allegedly committed by the accused is grave in nature, where an unsuspecting aspirant was cheated, his life endangered, and his family coerced to pay a hefty sum for his safety. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo The conduct of the accused points to a larger human trafficking racket." The court cited the possibility of the accused intimidating witnesses or absconding if granted bail and added that the chequered antecedents of the accused did not favour his release. The accused had moved a bail application under Section 483 of the BNSS, 2023, asserting his innocence and claiming that the matter had been "amicably settled" with the complainant. His counsel argued that a sum of Rs 19 lakh was agreed upon as compensation, with Rs 5 lakh already paid via a demand draft dated April 23, 2025, and the remaining to be paid by August 2025. However, the court refused to accept the settlement as a mitigating factor in light of the seriousness of the offence and its broader societal impact. Gagandeep Singh remains in judicial custody as investigations into the larger network of agents involved in the illegal immigration racket continue.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Op Thunder: Cops nab 2 with Rs1.2L MD
Nagpur: In a major success under Operation Thunder, Hudkeshwar police on Sunday arrested a man and a woman carrying mephedrone (MD) powder worth ₹1.2 lakh. The accused were caught near Bahadura Phata on Umred Road during a targeted patrol based on a tip-off. The operation was carried out under the directives of police commissioner Ravinder Singal, as part of an intensified crackdown on drug trafficking across the city. According to police sources, around 10am, cops intercepted a four-wheeler matching the description received in the tip-off near a school. When the police searched the vehicle, they found seven ziplock bags containing 12.01gm MD powder, ₹5,600 in cash, two mobile phones, an electric weighing scale. The police seized the material and arrested Feroz Khan (30) and Nazia Parvin Feroz Khan (26), both residents of Telephone Chowk, Beldar Nagar, Hudkeshwar. The total seizure is valued at ₹6.46 lakh. The accused reportedly intended to sell the drugs. A case was registered under sections 8(a), 21(b), and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Senior police officials including joint CP Navinchandra Reddy, additional CP Shivajirao Rathod, DCP Rashmita Rao, and officers from Sakkardara division supervised the operation. The team was led by police officers Dnyaneshwar Bhedodkar, Nagesh Chatarkar, Gopal Deshmukh, and others.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Pahalgam Attack: Two held for hiding Pakistani terrorists
New Delhi: National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two men for allegedly harbouring terrorists who carried out the April 22 attack in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead and 16 others injured. Officials termed the arrests a "major breakthrough" and said the two individuals had disclosed the identities of three terrorists involved in the attack, confirming that the three are Pakistani nationals and part of the Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The duo who allegedly provided shelter to the terrorists have been identified as Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar from Batkote, Pahalgam, and Bashir Ahmad Jothar of Hill Park, Pahalgam. "Parvaiz and Bashir had knowingly harboured the three armed terrorists at a seasonal dhok (hut) at Hill Park before the attack, as per NIA investigations," said one of the officials. The two men "provided food, shelter and logistical support to the terrorists, who had, on the fateful afternoon, selectively killed the tourists on the basis of their religious identity, making it one of the most gruesome terrorist attacks ever". The NIA arrested the duo under Section 19 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Further investigations in the case are continuing, said officials. The April 22 attack triggered a military retaliation by India against " terror infrastructure " in Pakistan. The Centre said soon after the attack that it had been established that the attack was directed by Pakistan-based handlers and involved Pakistani terrorists who had crossed the Line of Control. Following the attack, India carried out strikes inside Pakistan at sites including the headquarters of the LeT and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) at Muridke and Bahawalpur, respectively. The air strikes destroyed key terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan as well as training camps and launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes were carried out under Operation Sindoor , which is continuing, according to the government, with more punitive action not ruled out.
