The Kerala Drugs Control department has filed a complaint in a Kozhikode court against Uttarakhand-based Divya Pharmacy, which markets Baba Ramdev-owned Patanjali Ayurved’s products, for placing misleading advertisements in Malayalam and English language newspapers.
According to sources, the department is filing such a complaint against the firm in a court for the first time in the country. This happened on April 1, a day before the Supreme Court questioned the Union government for “shutting its eyes” while Patanjali Ayurved “tom-tommed” its products as panacea during the pandemic.
The court also threatened Mr. Ramdev with perjury proceedings on top of the contempt action against him.
The complaint filed by the Drugs Inspector, Office of the Assistant Drugs Controller, Kozhikode, in the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court IV, is under Section 10 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, for committing an offence under Section 3(b) and 3(d) of the Act, punishable under its Section 7(a).
Acharya Balkrishna, and Mr. Ramdev, who are functionaries of Divya Yoga Mandir (Trust) that runs Divya Pharmacy are the other accused in the case. Notices will be served on them. The charges entail imprisonment up to six months or a fine.
Earlier, offices of the Assistant Drugs Controller in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kannur and Kozhikode had registered 29 cases against the firm.
The first complaint against Divya Pharmacy was filed by Kannur-based ophthalmologist K.V. Babu on February 22, 2022. Following this, the State Drugs Control department ordered an inquiry, which revealed instances of the violation of the Act. Seven violations were detected in Kozhikode, six in Ernakulam, five each in Thrissur and Kollam, four in Thiruvananthapuram, and two in Kannur, between April 2022 and October 2023, in Malayalam and English-language newspapers.
Divya Lipidom, one of the products, claimed to reduce cholesterol and dyslipidemia (abnormal levels of cholesterol or fats), and be “helpful in fat metabolism” while Patanjali Nutrela Diabetic Care claimed to reduce blood sugar levels and control body weight.
