The Supreme Court has strongly criticized the Uttarakhand licensing authority for failing to take action against Patanjali Ayurved regarding misleading advertisements. The court, comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, expressed their disapproval towards the officials for delaying action on complaints against Divya Pharmacy and being inactive since 2018. The bench also objected to the use of the term ‘bona fide’ for the officers and warned that they would not take it lightly.
Additionally, the apex court rejected the affidavits filed by yoga guru Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved’s Managing Director, Balkrishna, who had submitted unconditional apologies for publishing misleading advertisements. The court questioned the sincerity of their apology and stated that it seemed like they had apologized only after being caught.
The bench, while dictating the order in the courtroom, expressed their reservations about accepting the affidavit filed by Ramdev and Balkrishna. The court stated that they were not willing to be generous in this case.
Dr Mithilesh Kumar, the Joint Director of the state’s Food and Drug Administration, pleaded for mercy, but the court was not in a mood to relent. When Dr. Kumar stated that he joined in June 2023 and that the issue had occurred before him, the court responded by saying, “Ab ghar pe time bitayiye” which means “now spend time at home.”
The court also expressed its astonishment at the lack of action from the state authority, which it described as being in a “deep slumber” for four to five years. Justice Hima Kohli accused the licensing authority of being hand in glove with Patanjali and doing nothing but pushing the file around.
