SC says it is dissatisfied with the Uttarakhand licensing body for inaction in Patanjali ads case

The Supreme Court has expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation provided by the Uttarakhand State Licencing Authority for its inaction in the Patanjali misleading ads case, as reported by news18. The apex court is probing if the licensing entity acted within legal boundaries in the matter. The next hearing is set for May 14.

The Uttarakhand government told the top court on Monday that it has suspended the manufacturing licenses of 14 products from Patanjali Ayurved and Divya Pharmacy with immediate effect. The move was made following previous criticism of the state authority for failing to act on misleading advertisements that make unverified cures claims for illnesses such as heart conditions and asthma by Patanjali Ayurved. Patanjali Foods was issued a show cause notice by the GST intelligence department for the retrieval of input tax credit valued at Rs 27.46 crore.

Additionally, the court has granted permission for yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his associate Acharya Balkrishna to not be present in person for the upcoming court session.

Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah's bench acknowledged the public apology released in newspapers on April 24 by the pair for the misleading advertisements. The court instructed the lawyers of Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, the founders of Patanjali, to submit the actual newspaper pages containing the public apology.