Baba Ramdev moves Kerala Court to recall arrest warrant in misleading ads case

New Delhi: Yoga guru and Patanjali Ayurved founder Baba Ramdev, along with Acharya Balkrishna, have approached a Kerala court to recall the non-bailable arrest warrant issued against them. 

The warrant was initially issued due to their failure to appear in court hearings related to a case concerning misleading advertisements by Patanjali Ayurved.

The application to recall the warrant was filed under Section 205 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which allows the court to exempt an accused from personal appearance and instead permit representation by counsel. 

The Judicial First-Class Magistrate-II in Palakkad had earlier issued the non-bailable warrant when Ramdev and Balkrishna did not show up for a scheduled hearing on February 1, following previous non-appearances.

The case originates from allegations that Patanjali Ayurved, through its marketing arm Divya Pharmacy, published advertisements violating the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. These ads reportedly made unsubstantiated claims about curing diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.

The legal troubles for Patanjali began in earnest in Kerala when the Drugs Inspector filed a complaint against Divya Pharmacy, naming it as the first accused, with Acharya Balkrishna and Baba Ramdev as the second and third accused, respectively. This marks one of several legal challenges faced by Patanjali, with up to 10 cases registered across Kerala alone, questioning the veracity and legality of their advertising practices.

The Kerala court's action follows a stern warning from the Supreme Court to state and union territory authorities to enforce laws against misleading medical advertisements more rigorously. 

Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna's absence from court sessions led to the initial issuance of bailable warrants, which were upgraded to non-bailable when they did not comply with court directives. 

The move to recall the warrant and seek exemption from personal appearance will be heard in the coming days.