Breaking | Delhi High Court Directs Baba Ramdev To Take Down Claims Blaming Allopathy For Covid-19 Deaths And Promoting Coronil

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna to remove their statements claiming that allopathy was responsible for deaths of lakhs of people in COVID-19 and that Patanjali's Coronil is a “cure” for virus.

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani passed order in the interim injunction application moved in a suit filed by various doctors' associations in 2021.

The bench directed Ramdev and Balkrishna to take down the offending content from social media platforms, internet and all websites within three days. 

It said in case they fail to take down the statements within three days, the social media intermediaries will take down the same.

The doctors' associations alleged that Baba Ramdev was causing misrepresentation to the public at large by spreading misinformation, prompting people to not get hospitalised by saying that allopathy was responsible for COVID-19 deaths.

In its judgment running into 55 pages, the court said that the conduct of Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna in promoting Coronil as a cure of COVID-19 “has been egregious”.

It further said that branding of Coronil as a cure may amount to misbranding and is legally impermissible. However, this court leaves it to the competent authorities to examine this aspect, without making any further observations, the judge added.

Justice Bhambhani said that if Ramdev and Balkrishna are permitted to continue to promote and advertise Coronil, not only would the public-at-large be at risk of their health but the ancient and venerated system of Ayurveda may itself come into disrepute.

Furthermore, the Court ruled that Coronil Tablet was licensed for use only as an immunity booster, which could also help as a supporting measure in the management of COVID-19.

It further observed that the application made for updating the licenses for Coronil from “IMMUNITY BOOSTER” to “Medicine for COVID-19” was never approved; and was disallowed after a detailed assessment.

The Court also observed that the Tablet is, at best, an immunity booster which strengthens the immune system in a general sense and the said Tablet cannot be advertised or promoted as a treatment, medicine or cure for COVID-19.

“To be clear, anecdotal evidence of some persons can never be a substitute for statutory approval, certification or licensing of the said Tablet as a treatment, medicine or cure for COVID-19,” court said.

The suit was moved by the following associations: Three Resident Doctors Association of All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Rishikesh, Patna and Bhubaneswar; Association of Resident Doctors, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Chandigarh; Resident Doctors Association Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, Meerut; Telangana Junior Doctors Association, Hyderabad; Union of Resident Doctors of Punjab.

According to the suit, Baba Ramdev was creating doubts in the minds of people with respect to efficacy of not only allopathic treatment but also other Covid-19 vaccines.

Furthermore, it was averred that being an influential person, Ramdev's statements can influence the public at large and thereby divert them from opting allopathy treatment which is prescribed as a standard form of care even by the Government.

Case Title: Resident Doctors Association, AIIMS (Rishikesh) & Ors. v. Ram Kishan Yadav alias Swami Ramdev & Ors.

Citation: 2024 LiveLaw (Del) 853

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