Supreme Court orders Baba Ramdev to personally appear in Patanjali hearing

The apex court today resumed the hearing where it had previously issued a Contempt notice when Patanjali Ayurved continued publishing misleading ads about medicinal cures.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed yoga guru Baba Ramdev to be personally present in court for failing to file a reply to show cause notice in the contempt proceedings against him over Patanjali Ayurved's misleading advertisements.

A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah took exception to failure of Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna to file a response.

"You were not responding to the notice. A press conference was held," the bench said.

"How can you be in teeth of our orders?... Earlier our hands were tied," the bench told the counsel.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi for Ramdev contended that the violation of the law is not contempt.

"What was relied on (earlier) in open court has to be recorded," he said.

"This is not fair. There is procedure. I am allowed to make submissions. Please put that on record," the counsel said.

The bench said there is no question of modification of the previous order.

The counsel again asked how Ramdev came into the picture.

"You are appearing, we will see on the next date," the bench told him.

On February 27, 2024, the Supreme Court had slammed the Centre for its inaction against Patanjali's "misleading and false" advertisements claiming cure for various diseases and restrained the company run by Baba Ramdev from making such announcements for now.

The court had then said the entire country is being taken for a ride, while issuing a show cause contempt notice to the company and its MD Acharya Balkrishna.

It had then noted violations of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act.

Indian Medical Association sought action against Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved for defaming allopathy medicine.

In November 2023, the apex court had cautioned Patanjali Ayurved against making "false" and "misleading" claims in advertisements about its medicines as a cure of several diseases.