Remove misleading COVID claims in 3 days, Delhi HC diktat to Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna

Patanjali Covid controversy: The Delhi High Court on Monday ordered Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna to retract their claims that allopathy was responsible for the deaths of lakhs of people during the COVID-19 pandemic and that Patanjali's Coronil is a cure for the virus. The interim injunction was issued by Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani in response to a suit filed by various doctors' associations in 2021.

The court mandated that Ramdev and Balkrishna remove the contentious content from all social media platforms, internet sites, and any other public platforms within three days. Should they fail to comply, social media intermediaries have been instructed to take down the statements.

The allegations from the doctors' associations centered around the assertion that Baba Ramdev was spreading misinformation, which misled the public and discouraged hospitalisations by falsely attributing COVID-19 deaths to allopathic treatments.

In its comprehensive 55-page judgment, the court criticised the actions of Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna in promoting Coronil as a COVID-19 cure, labeling their conduct as "egregious." The court stressed that branding Coronil as a cure could constitute misbranding, a legally impermissible act, though it left the final determination to the appropriate regulatory authorities.

Justice Bhambhani highlighted the potential health risks to the public and the threat to the reputation of the ancient Ayurvedic system if such promotions continued. He clarified that the Coronil Tablet was only licensed as an immunity booster and not as a cure for COVID-19. The court noted that an application to update Coronil’s license from "IMMUNITY BOOSTER" to "Medicine for COVID-19" was denied after a thorough evaluation.

The judgment reinforced that anecdotal evidence could not replace the need for statutory approval, certification, or licensing for a product to be considered a treatment or cure. The suit was supported by several medical associations, including the Resident Doctors Association from AIIMS Rishikesh, Patna, and Bhubaneswar, the Association of Resident Doctors from PGIMER Chandigarh, and others from across India.

The associations argued that Baba Ramdev’s statements undermined public confidence in allopathic treatments and COVID-19 vaccines, potentially diverting people from scientifically validated medical care.