The Supreme Court has deferred the hearing of a plea filed by yoga guru Ramdev seeking the consolidation of FIRs lodged against him in different states over his alleged remarks on the efficacy of allopathy in treating Covid-19. The hearing, originally scheduled for Friday, has been adjourned to July.
A bench comprising Justices MM Sundresh and SVN Bhatti granted a two-week extension to the states of Bihar and Chhattisgarh to provide updates on the status of the FIRs and the chargesheet filed against Ramdev. Additionally, the court granted Ramdev’s counsel the freedom to include the complainants in the case before the apex court and rescheduled the matter for July.
Ramdev approached the Supreme Court seeking protection from criminal FIRs filed against him in various states over his remarks on allopathy’s effectiveness in combating Covid-19. His plea urged the consolidation of FIRs and the transfer of cases to Delhi, along with a request for a stay on proceedings in multiple cases. Ramdev also sought protection from coercive actions in FIRs lodged by the Indian Medical Associations (IMA) branches in Patna and Raipur, advocating the transfer of these FIRs to Delhi.
The yoga guru faces charges under Sections 188, 269, 504, and other provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. In a video circulated in 2021, Ramdev allegedly disparaged allopathy and criticized drugs like Remdesivir and Fabiflu approved by the Drugs Controller General of India for treating Covid-19 patients, sparking widespread condemnation. The IMA issued a legal notice in response to his remarks.
An FIR was registered against Ramdev in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, based on a complaint by the local IMA unit, accusing him of spreading false information about medicines used by the medical fraternity to treat Covid-19. The complaint alleged that Ramdev made misleading statements on social media against medicines recommended by medical authorities and frontline organizations.
Ramdev’s plea before the Supreme Court reflects the ongoing legal battle surrounding his controversial remarks on allopathy, underscoring the tensions between traditional and modern medical practices amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
