Supreme Court Warns Patanjali: Rs. 1 Crore Cost For Every False Medical Claim

In a stern stance against misleading advertisements, the Supreme Court threatened Patanjali Ayurved with ₹1 crore costs for each false claim in their product advertisements that assert to cure diseases [Indian Medical Association and anr v. Union of India and ors]. Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra asserted that the issue goes beyond the allopathy vs. Ayurveda debate and warned, "All false and misleading advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved have to stop immediately."

Expressing serious concern, Justice Amanullah emphasized that the court would consider imposing hefty costs on products making false claims about curing diseases. The court directed Patanjali Ayurved to cease publishing such advertisements and making such claims to the media, emphasizing the need for a solution to address misleading medical advertisements.

The Central government was instructed to hold consultations and present recommendations to tackle the issue. The case stemmed from a plea filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), alleging a smear campaign against the COVID-19 vaccination drive and modern medicine. The IMA has pursued criminal proceedings against Baba Ramdev, the ambassador of Patanjali, for spreading false information during the pandemic.

This development follows the Supreme Court's scrutiny of Ramdev's attempt to discredit allopathy last year. The IMA's complaint highlights multiple instances of false information propagated by Ramdev on social media against medical treatments, the government, and frontline organizations. The court will revisit the matter on February 5, 2024, signaling a robust stance against deceptive medical claims.

Author: Anushka Taraniya

News Writer, MIT ADT University