The Supreme Court, on Wednesday, strongly criticized the Uttarakhand licensing authority for its inaction against Patanjali Ayurved regarding misleading advertisements. Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah of the bench reprimanded the state licensing authority officials for delaying action on complaints against Divya Pharmacy by continuously postponing the matter and being inactive since 2018.
“We have strong objection to use of the word ‘bonafide’ for officers. We are not going to take (it) lightly. We will rip you apart,” the court said in an unusually stern reprimand.
The highest court also rejected the affidavits submitted by yoga guru and entrepreneur Ramdev, along with the managing director of Patanjali Ayurved, Balkrishna, offering unconditional apologies for the publication of “misleading” advertisements. The court raised doubts about the sincerity of the apology, questioning whether it was “even heartfelt” and emphasized that Ramdev and Balkrishna offered apologies only after being “caught on the wrong foot.”
“Having regard to the entire history of the matter and the past conduct of the contemnors…, we have expressed our reservations about accepting the latest affidavit filed by them,” the bench said while dictating the order in the courtroom.
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The court rejected the apologies, stating that “We don’t want to be so generous in this case.” “The apologies that are on record are on paper. We think that having been caught on the wrong foot and noticing that their back is actually against the wall and having gone to town saying all kinds of things on the very next day of the order passed where your counsel had given undertaking, we don’t accept this affidavit,” it said.
“We decline to accept or condone it. We consider it a wilful and deliberate violation of the order and the breach of the undertaking…,” the bench told senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Ramdev and Balkrishna.
Characterizing the state authority as being in a “deep slumber” for four to five years, the court expressed astonishment at its failure to take action in addressing the issue at hand. Justice Hima Kohli remarked that the licensing authority was allegedly colluding with Patanjali and had failed to take any action “except pushing the file around.”
Dr. Mithilesh Kumar, the Joint Director of the state’s Food and Drug Administration, pleaded for leniency with folded hands “Please spare me…” Dr Kumar said to the court, “I came in June 2023… this happened before me.”
The court, showing no inclination to relent, stated “Ab ghar pe time bitayiye (now spend time at home).”
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