Delhi HC asks Ramdev to take down remark claiming Coronil as “cure” for Covid-19

The Delhi high court on Monday directed yoga guru Ramdev to take down his public remark claiming ‘Coronil’ a “cure” for Covid-19 and not just an immunity booster and also questioning the efficacy of allopathy against CoVID within 3 days.

Justice Anup Bhambhani had reserved the order on the lawsuit on May 21 after hearing the parties.

In 2021, the doctors’ associations filed a lawsuit against Ramdev, his aide Acharya Balkrishna, and Patanjali Ayurveda. As per the lawsuit, Ramdev had made “unsubstantiated claims” with respect to ‘Coronil’ being a cure for COVID-19, contrary to the licence granted to the drug for merely being an “immuno-booster”.

The doctors had sought a direction to restrain Ramdev and others, from making further similar statements.

The petitioners had alleged there was a misinformation campaign and a marketing strategy to further the sales of the product sold by Ramdev, including ‘Coronil’ which claimed to be an alternative treatment for COVID-19.

On October 27, 2021, the high court issued summons to Ramdev and others on the lawsuit, saying that it was not frivolous and a case for its institution was “definitely” made out.

The doctors had alleged that Ramdev, a highly influential person, was sowing doubts in the minds of the general public about the safety and efficacy of not only allopathic treatments but also COVID-19 vaccines.

They alleged that the “misinformation” campaign was nothing but an advertisement and marketing strategy to further the sales of the product sold by Ramdev, including ‘Coronil’, which he claimed to be an alternative treatment for COVID-19.

On July 12, the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration in Uttar Pradesh had banned the sale of 14 Ayurvedic medicines manufactured by Divya Pharmacy and Patanjali Ayurveda Limited.

The top court on July 9 directed Patanjali Ayurved Ltd to file an affidavit stating whether advertisements of its 14 products, whose manufacturing licences were initially suspended but later restored, have been withdrawn.