The Delhi High Court on Monday ordered Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna to retract their statements asserting that allopathy caused the deaths of millions during the COVID-19 pandemic and that Patanjali's Coronil is a "cure" for the virus.

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani issued the order on the interim injunction application filed by various doctors' associations in 2021. The bench directed Ramdev and Balakrishna to remove the controversial content from social media platforms, the internet, and all websites within three days.

The court stated that if Ramdev and Balakrishna fail to remove the statements within three days, social media intermediaries will be required to do so. The doctors' associations alleged that Baba Ramdev was misleading the public by spreading misinformation and discouraging hospitalizations by claiming that allopathy was responsible for COVID-19 deaths.

In its 55-page judgment, the court described the conduct of Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna in promoting Coronil as a COVID-19 cure as "egregious."

The court further noted that branding Coronil as a cure might constitute misbranding and is legally impermissible. However, the judge stated that this issue would be left to the competent authorities to examine, without making any additional comments.

Justice Bhambhani stated that if Ramdev and Balakrishna are allowed to continue promoting and advertising Coronil, it would not only jeopardize public health but also risk bringing the ancient and esteemed system of Ayurveda into disrepute.

Additionally, the court ruled that the Coronil Tablet was licensed solely as an immunity booster and could be used as a supplementary measure in managing COVID-19. The court noted that an application to update Coronil's license from “IMMUNITY BOOSTER” to “Medicine for COVID-19” had not been approved and was rejected after a thorough assessment.

The court also observed that the Tablet is, at most, an immunity booster that strengthens the immune system in a general sense and cannot be advertised or promoted as a treatment, medicine, or cure for COVID-19.

The court emphasized, "To be clear, anecdotal evidence from some individuals can never replace statutory approval, certification, or licensing of the Tablet as a treatment, medicine, or cure for COVID-19."

The suit was moved by the following associations: Three Resident Doctors Association of All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Rishikesh, Patna and Bhubaneswar; Association of Resident Doctors, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Chandigarh; Resident Doctors Association Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, Meerut; Telangana Junior Doctors Association, Hyderabad; Union of Resident Doctors of Punjab.

The suit alleged that Baba Ramdev was sowing doubts about the efficacy of not only allopathic treatments but also COVID-19 vaccines. It was further claimed that, due to his influential status, Ramdev's statements could sway the public and deter them from choosing allopathic treatment, which is endorsed as a standard form of care by the Government.

Case Title: Resident Doctors Association, AIIMS (Rishikesh) & Ors. v. Ram Kishan Yadav alias Swami Ramdev & Ors.