Supreme Court warns Patanjali in misleading ads case says ‘will rip you apart’

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (April 11) in a strong rebuke dismissed Patanjali founders Ramdev and Balkrishna's latest apology for the company's misleading advertisements. The Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the case and said they are not blind and will not show leniency.

The court tore into the Uttarakhand licensing authority for inaction and the central government's response deemed inadequate.

"The apology is on paper. We decline to accept this, we consider it a deliberate violation of undertaking," the bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice A Amanullah said.

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The court started the proceedings by criticising Ramdev and Balkrishna for apologising to the media first, not the court. Justice Kohli pointed out the delay in submitting the affidavits, suggesting they prioritised publicity.

Despite defence lawyer Mukul Rohatgi's claims, the court found the affidavits poorly drafted and expressed doubt about their sincerity.

The judge examining the affidavits, Justice Amanullah, expressed strong doubt about their authenticity. He bluntly stated, "These affidavits seem like a mockery of the court process. Who wrote them? It's baffling."

Defence attorney Rohatgi attempted to downplay the issue, claiming a simple mistake. The court countered with, "That's a understatement."

Justice Amanullah then questioned the sincerity of the apology itself. He asked, "Is there any genuine regret here?"

The court remained unimpressed, stating, "Even after our clear orders? An apology alone isn't enough. You must face the consequences of disobeying the court. We won't be lenient in this case."

The court said, "This isn't just about punishing one company, it's about making sure everyone follows the rules. Look, when the government told you to take down those ads, what did you do? You hid behind a technicality, some court decision, to avoid any trouble. That, on top of everything else, shows you just don't respect the law or the people you're supposed to be selling to. Saying 'sorry' and claiming good intentions isn't enough."

Things got even hotter when the court turned to the Uttarakhand government.

They basically asked why nobody in charge of licensing ever did their job. Apparently, three officials were supposed to be suspended immediately.The judges were furious that these government workers did nothing. They said something like, "We take major offence to you calling those officers 'well-meaning.' Don't try to downplay this! We'll tear you apart for this! All they did was shuffle paperwork!"

We have strong objection to the use of the word 'bonafide' for officers. We are not going to take (it) lightly."

"We will rip you apart," it said, saying that officers were just "pushing files".

(With inputs from agencies)