The Kerala High Court has put a temporary stop to legal proceedings against Patanjali Ayurved’s key figures, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, in a case related to an allegedly prohibited advertisement.
A single-judge bench led by Justice VG Arun granted a three-month stay on the case, which was pending before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court II in Palakkad.
The case stems from a complaint filed by the Palakkad Drug Inspector, who accused Patanjali of running an advertisement for “Mukta Vati Extra Power” in the Mathrubhumi newspaper on September 30, 2023. The complaint argued that the ad violated provisions of the Drugs and Magical Remedies (Objectionable Advertisement) Act, 1954, by promoting self-medication, potentially endangering public health.
Authorities later inspected Patanjali’s premises and found stocks of the product, which was labeled as beneficial for blood pressure and cardiac disorders. The complaint contended that this constituted an illegal advertisement under the Act.
In response, Ramdev and Balkrishna sought relief from the High Court, citing procedural lapses. Their petition pointed out that the case was filed beyond the legally prescribed time limit—over a year after the advertisement was published—violating Section 468 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
Additionally, their legal team argued that the ad did not promote any so-called “magic remedy,” as the law is intended to prohibit. The advertisement, they claimed, explicitly stated that the product should only be used under medical supervision, thus falling outside the scope of the alleged violation.
Further, the petition highlighted that under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the accused must be given an opportunity to be heard before a magistrate takes cognizance of such an offense. According to them, this procedural safeguard was ignored.
The High Court’s stay order offers temporary relief to Ramdev and Balkrishna as the legal battle over the controversial advertisement continues.
