SC closes contempt case against Baba Ramdev, Balakrishna over Patanjali's misleading ads

• Supreme Court closed the contempt case against Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna
• It accepted their undertakings to stop issuing misleading advertisements for Patanjali products
• IMA had filed a petition in 2022, accusing Patanjali of violating advertising laws by making false claims about miracle cures for various health conditions

The Supreme Court on Tuesday closed the contempt case against yoga guru Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna, following their undertakings to cease issuing misleading advertisements and claims regarding Patanjali Ayurved Ltd products. The court accepted these undertakings, bringing an end to the legal proceedings initiated by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

The IMA had approached the Supreme Court in 2022, filing a petition against Ramdev and Patanjali for making disparaging remarks about modern medicine and promoting Patanjali products with claims of miracle cures for lifestyle disorders and other illnesses.

The petition argued that these advertisements violated the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, and the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1954.

Despite an undertaking given by Patanjali in November last year to stop such advertisements, the IMA highlighted that the company continued to publish misleading ads, prompting the court to issue contempt notices to Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna.