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NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court on Tuesday took a stern stance while hearing the contempt case against Patanjali, stressing the need for immediate action to address misleading advertisements continuing despite the suspension of product licences.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah expressed dissatisfaction over the persistence of Patanjali's misleading advertisements on various platforms, including the internet and television channels, as it pointed out Uttarakhand's earlier actions, including the suspension of manufacturing licences for 14 products and the filing of a criminal complaint against Patanjali, its Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna, and co-founder Baba Ramdev under relevant legislation.
Despite these measures, the court questioned senior advocate Balbir Singh, representing Patanjali, about the continued presence of misleading ads, particularly on social media platforms.
He assured the bench that Patanjali was aware of the issue and committed to addressing it comprehensively by the next hearing.
However, the court expressed concern over Patanjali's collaboration with certain media channels, which continue to air these advertisements.
Justice Amanullah reiterated the significance of the suspended licences, saying that products under suspension cannot be sold or dealt with in any manner.
The court criticised the State Licensing Authority for not taking proactive measures to ensure compliance with the suspension orders, stressing that the onus is on them to enforce the suspension effectively.
Justice Kohli said that it is not the court's role to instruct the Licensing Authority on their duties and called for proactive measures without the court's intervention. The court dismissed Singh's request for the exemption of Patanjali's Managing Director and co-founder from personal appearance, stating that such requests must be formally submitted through the appropriate channels.