'Will rip you apart': SC to U'khand officers over Patanjali action delay

Justice Hima Kohli further said that the licencing authority was hand in glove with Patanjali and did nothing "except pushing the file around

The Supreme Court on Wednesday criticised the Uttarakhand drug licensing authority for not taking any action against Patanjali Ayurved for publishing misleading advertisements.

A bench, comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, pulled up the state licensing authority officials for "pushing the file" to delay action on complaints against Divya Pharmacy. The apex court stated: "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." 

Mithilesh Kumar, head of Uttarakhand state drugs regulator, asked the Bench to grant him more time to take action against the company, but the judges refused. "Why should we not come down on your officers like a ton of bricks?" Justice Hima Kohli asked the Uttarakhand state counsel.

Justice Kohli further said that the licensing authority was hand in glove with Patanjali and did nothing "except pushing the file around".

Refusing to accept the affidavits filed by Ramdev and managing director of Patanjali Ayurved Balkrishna tendering unconditional apologies over publishing "misleading" advertisements, the top court asked whether the apology was "even heartfelt" and asserted that the duo did so when "caught on the wrong foot".

Stating the order, the Bench said, "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." 

Declining their apologies, the court said, "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."

Replying to senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Ramdev and Balkrishna, statements, the court 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…"