THIRUVANTAPURAM — A Kerala court has issued a bailable arrest warrant for Baba Ramdev and his associate Acharya Balakrishna following a complaint filed by Kerala drug regulators against Patanjali Ayurved for alleged misleading advertisements on its healthcare products.
The warrant issued by the Palakkad District Court on Thursday is the first warrant-based summons to Ramdev since a Kerala doctor complained to the Centre about the alleged misleading advertisements nearly three years ago, leading to 10 cases in Kerala and one in Uttarakhand, The Telegraph reported.
The case status on January 16, 2025, as documented by the Palakkad court notes: “Complainant absent. All accused served. Bailable warrant to all accused.”
Kerala’s drugs control department, acting on multiple complaints filed by Kannur-based ophthalmologist K.V. Babu, had in November 2023 asked its offices across the state to initiate legal proceedings against Patanjali for allegedly violating the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
The advertisements had claimed that certain Patanjali Ayurved products could cure high blood pressure and diabetes, among other health disorders, but such claims are prohibited by the DMR Act, which bans advertisements promoting cures for several specific illnesses.
