An illustration showing the Supreme Court of India and Baba Ramdev.
Credit: PTI Photos
New Delhi: Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev and Patanjali's MD Acharya Balkrishna on Tuesday offered before the Supreme Court to tender a public apology in a case of misleading advertisements for medicines for curing various diseases.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah granted them one week's time "to take steps to redeem themselves and show their bona fide" in the case.
"We have yet not decided whether to accept your apology," the bench said, after interacting with both of them.
The court scheduled the contempt proceedings for consideration on April 23.
In its interaction with Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, the court said they had done good work in popularising Yoga and Ayurveda but they can't criticise other streams of treatments.
Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna said they tendered unconditional and unqualified apology for their acts and won't commit them in future.
In his submission, Rohatgi offered to make a public apology to show contrition in the matter.
The bench said they had acted in an irresponsible manner by criticising other modes of treatment and made advertisements for medicine of incurable diseases which was prohibited under the law.
On April 10, the court had declined to accept the apologies tendered by Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev and Patanjali's MD Acharya Balkrishna for their wilful, and deliberate disobedience of undertaking in relation to misleading advertisements claiming cures for various diseases.
The court had said a message should go to the society at large.
"We are also concerned with all FMCGs who are making people walk the garden path," the bench said.
Hearing a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association, the bench had said it was a deliberate and wilful act and they have to suffer consequences.
On April 2, the court had rejected an apology by Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna for having violated the provisions of Section 3 and 4 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, read with Rule 6 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Rules, 1955.
On March 19, the Supreme Court took an exception to failure of Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna to file a response to the contempt notice and sought their personal presence before the court on next date of hearing, April 2.
On February 27, 2024, the 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.
On November 21, 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.
Indian Medical Association sought action against Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved for defaming allopathy medicine.