The assistant manager of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, along with two others, faced a six-month prison sentence and fines, as decreed by a chief judicial magistrate in Pithoragarh. This judgment came after a Patanjali food product failed a quality assessment at a Rudrapur testing laboratory in Uttarakhand. The scrutiny arose when a food safety inspector raised concerns about Patanjali Navratna Elaichi Soan Papdi at a shop in Berinag, Pithoragarh, back in 2019.
🚨 Patanjali Official and 2 Others Get 6 Months Jail for Failed ‘Soan Papadi’ Quality Test
— Ravisutanjani (@Ravisutanjani) May 19, 2024
Following the incident, samples were collected, and notices were served to Kanaha Ji Distributor, Ramnagar, and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, Haridwar. In December 2020, the Rudrapur testing laboratory notified the state food safety department about the substandard quality of the sweet. Subsequently, legal action was initiated against businessman Lila Dhar Pathak, distributor Ajay Joshi, and Patanjali’s assistant manager, Abhishek Kumar. They were fined and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, with fines ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹25,000.
In a recent development, the Supreme Court queried Patanjali Ayurved Ltd regarding the cessation of sales of 14 products, whose manufacturing licenses were suspended by the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority. Senior advocate Balbir Singh, representing Patanjali, informed the court that the sale of these products had ceased. The court granted three weeks for the filing of affidavits detailing the steps taken to recall advertisements of the suspended products.
The bench reserved orders on the contempt notice issued to respondents Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, Balkrishna, and Ramdev, stating that their presence in court would not be necessary until specific orders were issued.
