The Uttarakhand High Court has quashed a criminal case filed against Patanjali Ayurved Limited and its founders, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, related to allegedly misleading advertisements. The case was initially registered in 2024 by a senior food safety officer under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
The complaint alleged that products such as Madhugrit, Madhunashini, Divya Lipidom Tablet, Divya Livogrit Tablet, Divya Livamrit Advance Tablet, Divya Madhunashini Vati, and Divya Madhugrit Tablet were promoted through misleading advertisements.
During the hearing, the High Court, invoking Section 528 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), set aside the summons issued by the Haridwar CJM. The court observed that the complaint lacked evidence to prove the claims in the advertisements were false or misleading. Moreover, it noted that the petitioner firm was asked to remove the ads without being shown how they were deceptive, and there was no expert report substantiating the allegations.
The court also ruled that events predating 2023 were time-barred, making the complaint legally unsustainable.
Background: Triggered by Supreme Court’s Rebuke
The case was filed after the Supreme Court criticized the Uttarakhand government in 2023 for failing to act against Patanjali Ayurved and Divya Pharmacy, despite repeated notices from the Ministry of AYUSH. The High Court, however, concluded that the absence of supporting evidence warranted dismissal of the case.
