Kerala court issues non-bailable warrant against Baba Ramdev, Balakrishna

The case against Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna was filed for allegedly publishing misleading medical advertisements in English and Malayalam newspapers

A Kerala court has issued a non-bailable warrant against yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna, MD and co-founder of Patanjali Ayurved, after they failed to appear in a criminal case, reported LiveLaw. The case was filed by the Kerala drugs inspector against Divya Pharmacy for allegedly publishing misleading medical advertisements in English and Malayalam newspapers.   

 

The court issued the warrant to ensure their presence on February 15. Earlier, the Palakkad District Court had issued a bailable warrant for their appearance on February 1.  

 

The case against Baba Ramdev, Balakrishna, and Divya Pharmacy -- part of their Haridwar-based company, Patanjali Ayurved -- was registered in October 2024. The court had summoned them to appear on January 16, but they failed to appear in the court. The case involves misleading advertisements claiming that Patanjali products could cure high blood pressure and diabetes, which violates the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.   

Significantly, similar cases are ongoing in courts in Kozhikode in Kerala and Haridwar in Uttarakhand, where summons have been issued multiple times, but Ramdev and Balakrishna have not appeared. The Palakkad case is now scheduled for February 1.

 

In Kerala alone, 10 cases have been filed -- four in Kozhikode, three in Palakkad, two in Ernakulam, and one in Thiruvananthapuram.

 

Previously, on January 15, the Supreme Court warned states and Union territories that they could face contempt action if they hesitate to take action against individuals and companies responsible for misleading medical advertisements.