Supreme Court Rejects Plea Claiming 'Red Ant Chutney' Can Prevent Covid-19 Infection

The Supreme Court, on Thursday (9 September 2021), dismissed a plea that claimed 'red ant chutney' can prevent infection through COVID-19 virus.

"We are not inclined to entertain the Special Leave Petition", the bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Vikram Nath and Hima Kohli said while dismissing SLP filed against the Orissa High court order.

Er. Nayadhar Padhial, who is working as Assistant Engineer (Civil), Takatpur, R & B Section, Baripada, District Mayurbhanj and he belongs to the Bathudi Tribal Adibasi community, had approached the High Court claiming that 'Kaai (Kukuti) Chutney (paste)' which is prepared using red ants, mixed with green chilly (Dhanua Lanka) is a potent medicine that can boost the immunity system and thus, could prevent infection through the COVID-19 virus.

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, after considering his representation had stated that it currently does not have the required expertise in the domain of entomophagy and therefore would not be able to pursue any action in the matter. Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences stated that the use of red ant chutney or soup for the beneficial use by the COVID-19 patient is "out of the purview of Ayurveda drugs as per regulatory provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules, 1945

The High Court bench of Chief Justice S. Muralidhar and Justice B. P. Routray, while dismissing the plea, said that the use of red ant chutney or soup by the tribal communities for medicinal and therapeutic purposes is based on their traditional knowledge systems which the Court is hardly equipped to comment upon.

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