Supreme Court directs IMA to ensure Patanjali removes misleading ads

The Supreme Court (SC) directed the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to ensure that Patanjali Ayurved withdraws all misleading advertisements from social media, electronic media, and other platforms, mentions a Business Standard report.

This order specifically targets 14 products whose licenses were revoked by the Uttarakhand licensing authority.

The case, heard by a bench comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Sandeep Mehta, was initiated by the IMA, which accused Patanjali of disseminating deceptive medical advertisements. The court mandated that no promotions for the 14 medicines should be broadcasted or published.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Patanjali, informed the court that digital advertisements had been retracted. However, Justice Kohli requested additional details regarding actions taken beyond internal channels, specifically questioning the measures taken to inform social media platforms and other intermediaries about the license suspensions.

The court ordered the Uttarakhand licensing authority to submit an affidavit within two weeks detailing the licensing process.