The Supreme Court of India remains vigilant in its scrutiny of Patanjali Ayurved and its founders, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, regarding misleading advertisements that disparaged modern medicine and the COVID-19 vaccination drive. 

The Court today interacted directly with the promoters to assess the sincerity of their apology, indicating that they are not yet absolved of their actions.

The Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah engaged in a personal interaction with Ramdev and Balkrishna, seeking reassurance of their apology's genuineness. While the duo expressed regret for their conduct, the Court made it clear that past history and responsibilities cannot be overlooked.

"We are not saying we will forgive you. We cannot be blind to your earlier history; we will think about your apology. You are not so innocent that you were completely unaware of what was going on in Court," remarked Justice Kohli during the proceedings.

The Court, while recording an undertaking by Patanjali and its representatives to take steps towards redemption and demonstrate good intentions, adjourned the matter until April 23. This adjournment followed Patanjali's proposal to voluntarily take corrective actions.

The court had previously come down heavily on the founders of Patanjali during a hearing last week, criticizing the Uttarakhand government for not taking action against the company despite clear violations.

Also Read: Ramdev Baba and Patanjali MD slammed: 'Feigning Ignorance Unacceptable', says court.

The court's scrutiny focused on Patanjali's promotion of Coronil, a drug launched in 2021 that was described by Ramdev as the "first evidence-based medicine for COVID-19." The Indian Medical Association (IMA) disputed this claim, pointing out that Coronil lacked WHO certification and highlighting concerns about misleading the public.

A significant point of contention arose when a video surfaced of Ramdev disparaging allopathy as a "stupid & bankrupt science" and claiming that no modern medicine was effective against COVID-19. This led to a legal notice from the IMA demanding an apology and withdrawal of statements. Patanjali Yogpeeth's response that Ramdev was reading from a forwarded WhatsApp message did little to assuage concerns about misinformation.

The court's rebuke extended beyond the COVID-19 claims to Patanjali's broader advertising practices. An advertisement titled 'Misconceptions Spread By Allopathy' claimed that Patanjali drugs could cure various diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid issues, liver cirrhosis, arthritis, and asthma. This prompted the IMA to file a petition against Patanjali, citing continuous misinformation and false claims about product efficacy.

Despite the Supreme Court's warnings and rejections of previous apologies from Patanjali's founders, the company's attitude towards complying with directives came into question. Justice Amanullah emphasized that the law applied equally to everyone, and a sincere apology was not enough to absolve violations of court orders.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Ramdev and Balkrishna, reiterated an unconditional apology during the recent hearing. However, the Court emphasized that mere apologies do not absolve them from responsibility, especially regarding claims made in advertisements about curing specific diseases.

The Court's stance underscores the principle that advertising medicines for specific diseases is impermissible and that companies like Patanjali cannot degrade allopathy while promoting their products. The judges reminded Patanjali's representatives that everyone, regardless of stature, is bound by the law.

Case: Indian Medical Association & Anr vs. Union of India and Ors.