Halt misleading ads or face up to 1-crore fines: Supreme Court to Baba Ramdevs Patanjali [Video]

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (November 21) issued a stern warning to Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved, for persistently publishing misleading claims and advertisements against modern systems of medicine. The court said it could impose fines of up to ₹1 crore on each product if a false claim is made regarding its ability to ‘cure’ a specific disease.

Responding to a petition from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) challenging deceptive advertising practices, the bench, including Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra, instructed Patanjali Ayurved to immediately halt all false and misleading advertisements.

The bench clarified that it did not intend to turn the issue into an “allopathy v. Ayurveda” debate but aimed to find a genuine solution to the problem of misleading medical advertisements. Stressing the gravity of the matter, the court urged the Union government to come up with suitable recommendations after consultations in the next hearing, scheduled for February 5, 2024.

The IMA’s petition raised concerns over the continuous spread …