Supreme Court Closes Contempt Case Against Ramdev with Warning

The Supreme Court has reportedly closed contempt proceedings against Baba Ramdev and his aide Balakrishna in the case concerning misleading advertisements by Patanjali Ayurveda. However, the court issued a strong warning against any future violations of its orders.

The legal representative for Patanjali, advocate Gautam Talukdar, stated that the proceedings were closed based on the undertakings provided by Ramdev, Balakrishna, and Patanjali Ayurveda. The bench, comprising Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Sandeep Mehta, accepted their apology but emphasized the seriousness of adhering to court orders.

"We have come down heavily and warn that this should not be repeated in the future," the court's order stated. The court stressed that affidavits submitted must be truthful, and while the contempt proceedings have been closed, Ramdev and Balakrishna were cautioned to strictly follow court directives.

The Supreme Court had initiated the contempt proceedings after Patanjali ran misleading ads for Coronil, a product claimed to be the "first evidence-based medicine for COVID-19" with WHO certification—both claims were disputed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). Ramdev had also previously sparked controversy by calling allopathy a "stupid and bankrupt science," leading to demands for an apology from the IMA.