A Palakkad court in Kerala, India has issued a non-bailable warrant against yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna for failing to appear in a criminal case related to allegedly misleading medical advertisements. The case was filed by the Kerala Drugs Inspector against Divya Pharmacy, an affiliate of Patanjali Ayurved, under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
The complaint cites violations of Section 3 of the Act, which prohibits the advertisement of certain drugs for treating specific diseases, including claims to enhance sexual pleasure, diagnose, cure, or prevent diseases listed under the Act. The case was filed against Divya Pharmacy (first accused), Acharya Balakrishna (second accused), and Baba Ramdev (third accused).
In 2020, the Supreme Court issued a contempt notice against Patanjali Ayurved for disparaging modern medicine and making unverified claims about disease cures. However, the case was later closed after Baba Ramdev, Balakrishna, and Patanjali Ayurved issued a public apology.
The Palakkad court had earlier issued bailable warrants, but as the duo failed to appear, it issued non-bailable warrants on Saturday to secure their presence on February 15. The court’s decision is a significant development in the ongoing controversy surrounding Patanjali Ayurved’s alleged misleading advertising practices.