IANS | 07 May, 2024
The Supreme Court on Tuesday took a stern stance while hearing the
contempt case against Patanjali, stressing the need for immediate action
to address misleading advertisements continuing despite the suspension
of product licences.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and
Ahsanuddin Amanullah expressed dissatisfaction over the persistence of
Patanjali's misleading advertisements on various platforms, including
the internet and television channels, as it pointed out Uttarakhand's
earlier actions, including the suspension of manufacturing licences for
14 products and the filing of a criminal complaint against Patanjali,
its Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna, and co-founder Baba Ramdev
under relevant legislation.
Despite these measures, the court
questioned senior advocate Balbir Singh, representing Patanjali, about
the continued presence of misleading ads, particularly on social media
platforms.
He assured the bench that Patanjali was aware of the issue and committed to addressing it comprehensively by the next hearing.
However,
the court expressed concern over Patanjali's collaboration with certain
media channels, which continue to air these advertisements.
Justice
Amanullah reiterated the significance of the suspended licences, saying
that products under suspension cannot be sold or dealt with in any
manner.
The court criticised the State Licensing Authority for not
taking proactive measures to ensure compliance with the suspension
orders, stressing that the onus is on them to enforce the suspension
effectively.
Justice Kohli said that it is not the court's role to
instruct the Licensing Authority on their duties and called for
proactive measures without the court's intervention. The court dismissed
Singh's request for the exemption of Patanjali's Managing Director and
co-founder from personal appearance, stating that such requests must be
formally submitted through the appropriate channels.