Bombay High Court orders Patanjali to deposit Rs 50 lakh for breaching interim order

Bombay HC noted Patanjali had admitted to supplying camphor products despite the injunction order issued in August 2023.

The Bombay High Court has ordered Patanjali Ayurved to deposit Rs 50 lakh for allegedly violating the interim order, as reported by Business Standard. The order restrained it from selling camphor products, following a trademark infringement case filed by another company.

In August 2023, the HC issued an interim order preventing Patanjali Ayurved from selling its camphor products due to trademark infringement allegations by Mangalam Organics. A single bench of Justice R. I. Chagla noted that Patanjali, in an affidavit submitted in June, admitted to breaching the earlier order granting an injunction against the sale of the impugned camphor products.

"Such persistent breach of the injunction order dated 30th August 2023 by defendant no. 1 (Patanjali) cannot be tolerated by this court," Justice Chagla said in the order. The bench deemed it appropriate to direct Patanjali to deposit a sum of Rs 50 lakh prior to passing an order for contempt/breach of the injunction order. The HC has posted the matter for further hearing on July 19.

In 2023, Mangalam Organics had filed a suit against Patanjali Ayurved, alleging copyright infringement of their camphor products. Subsequently, Mangalam Organics filed an application claiming that Patanjali was in breach of the interim order as it continued selling the camphor products.

The HC noted a June 2024 affidavit submitted by Patanjali director Rajneesh Mishra, who tendered an unconditional apology and an undertaking to abide by the high court's orders. In the affidavit, Mishra stated that after the injunction order was passed, the cumulative supply of the impugned camphor products amounted to Rs 49,57,861.