Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna get big relief from SC, defamation case closed in Patanjali advertisement case

"The court has dropped the contempt proceedings on the basis of the undertakings given by Ramdev, Balkrishna, and Patanjali Ayurveda Ltd. On May 14, the apex court had reserved its order on the contempt notice," said advocate Gautam Talukdar, representing yoga guru Balkrishna and the company.

The apex court is hearing a plea filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), alleging a defamatory campaign against the COVID-19 vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine.

In its November 21, 2023 order, the apex court had said that the counsel representing Patanjali Ayurveda had assured the court that no laws would be violated henceforth.

Patanjali Ayurveda had told the court that no laws relating to the advertisement or branding of the products manufactured and marketed would be violated.

The apex court was irked by the non-compliance of the specific assurance by the company and the subsequent statements made in the media. Following this, the Court issued a notice to the company to show cause as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them.