A bench led by Justices Hima Kohli and Sandeep Mehta heard the case filed by the IMA against Patanjali for publishing deceptive medical advertisements.
NEW DELHI: Today (9th July): The Supreme Court directed the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to ensure the removal of all misleading advertisements by Patanjali Ayurved from social media, electronic media, and other platforms. This directive particularly targets 14 products whose licences were previously revoked by the Uttarakhand licensing authority.
A bench led by Justices Hima Kohli and Sandeep Mehta heard the case filed by the IMA against Patanjali for publishing deceptive medical advertisements.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Patanjali, informed the court that the advertisements had already been withdrawn digitally. However, Justice Kohli sought further clarification on actions taken beyond internal channels, particularly regarding notifications to social media platforms and other intermediaries about the suspended licences.
Advocate PS Patwalia, representing the IMA, clarified that while the licences were initially suspended, they were subsequently reinstated on May 17.
The court instructed the Uttarakhand licensing authority to submit an affidavit within two weeks detailing the licensing process and related specifics.
Justice Kohli appointed advocate Shadan Farasat as amicus curiae to examine issues concerning the Drugs and Licensing Authority’s functioning. This decision followed concerns regarding the effectiveness of Patanjali’s efforts to remove the advertisements.
READ ALSO: No Intention of Diminishing the Dignity of the SC: IMA Chief Tenders Apology
The court also noted that IMA president Dr RV Asokan had issued an unconditional apology for his earlier criticisms of the Supreme Court. Justice Kohli acknowledged Dr Asokan’s affidavit expressing regret, which had been published in the IMA’s monthly magazine, on their website, and shared with news agencies.
Dr Asokan had previously clarified that his comments were inadvertent and not intended to show disrespect to the court.
Senior Advocate PS Patwalia, representing the IMA, conveyed to the Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Sandeep Mehta
“The IMA has published a full-page advertisement expressing regret and offering an unconditional apology for the statements made to the press. This apology is displayed as a pop-up on the IMA website, and it has been covered by PTI, Economic Times, and other newspapers,” Patwalia informed the Bench.
Dr. Asokan had criticized the Court following its remarks during hearings in the case involving Patanjali Ayurved’s misleading advertisements against allopathic medicine. The IMA had filed the case against Patanjali and its promoters, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, accusing them of running a smear campaign against modern medicine.
During the hearings, the Court had rebuked Patanjali strongly and had also directed the IMA to address unethical practices within modern medicine on April 23. Subsequently, Dr. Asokan’s comments expressing disappointment over the Court’s criticism were reported in the press.
The Bench, comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, had earlier expressed dissatisfaction with Dr. Asokan’s initial apology and questioned why a public apology was not issued.
“Why did you not issue a public apology when everything was clearly documented? If you genuinely intended to apologize, why did you not take steps to rectify the situation earlier? You could have approached the same agency (PTI) and conveyed what you are now stating in your affidavit. What actions did you take to make amends after the interview? Please explain,”
the Bench questioned during the May 14 hearing.
The Court has acknowledged this submission and adjourned the hearing accordingly.
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