New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that yoga guru Ramdev and his close associate Balkrishna of Patanjali Ayurveda attempted to avoid their personal presence in the apex court, which is most unacceptable.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said he was directed to appear in person after a show cause notice was issued to him by the Ayurveda firm over "misleading" advertisements and for violating the undertaking given to the court. But he tried to escape. The application was filed seeking exemption on the grounds that he was traveling abroad.
The bench said affidavits were filed by him mentioning the tickets purchased by him through his travel agent for going abroad, "which surprisingly were issued on the next date of the affidavit, i.e. March 31, 2024".
The bench said that in the last hearing when he was faced with the above situation, the counsel appearing for him had sought time to obtain clarification."Now in the affidavit filed by the proposed contemnors it is being stated that the tickets were issued a day after the filing of the affidavit and it is stated that at the time of filing of the affidavit, photocopies of the tickets were attached with the application, he said. Is on March 31,” the bench said.
"The fact is that on the day the affidavits were sworn, no such stamp was in existence and, therefore, the impression that the defendants were trying to avoid their personal appearance before this Court is most unacceptable. " ,
In their latest affidavits filed in the apex court, both Ramdev and Balkrishna have stated how they had instructed their travel agents to take steps to release the tickets on March 30.
Ramdev said in his affidavit, “It was my intention to place before this court the tickets issued to me to prove the genuineness of my statement regarding my travel.He said the travel agent had issued the tickets on March 31.
"Only after receiving the said stamps, which were enclosed, the SAI application was filed before this Court. I sincerely regret the omission in the affidavit supporting the IA (literally interim application for leave to appeal) Regretfully, because the air ticket was dated March 31, 2024 whereas the affidavit was dated March 30, 2024 and the application was e-filed at midnight of March 31/April 1, 2024,'' he said.
The bench fixed the next hearing of the case on April 16.The top court is hearing a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), alleging a defamation campaign against the Covid vaccination drive and the modern system of medicine.
In its November 21, 2023 order, the top court had said that the lawyer representing Patanjali Ayurveda had assured it that "there will be no violation of any law henceforth, especially in the products manufactured and marketed by it No incidental statement relating to the advertising or branding of products and, moreover, making claims of medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine, shall be released in the media in any form.The top court had said that Patanjali Ayurveda Ltd "is bound by such assurance".
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said he was directed to appear in person after a show cause notice was issued to him by the Ayurveda firm over "misleading" advertisements and for violating the undertaking given to the court. But he tried to escape. The application was filed seeking exemption on the grounds that he was traveling abroad.
The bench said affidavits were filed by him mentioning the tickets purchased by him through his travel agent for going abroad, "which surprisingly were issued on the next date of the affidavit, i.e. March 31, 2024".
The bench said that in the last hearing when he was faced with the above situation, the counsel appearing for him had sought time to obtain clarification."Now in the affidavit filed by the proposed contemnors it is being stated that the tickets were issued a day after the filing of the affidavit and it is stated that at the time of filing of the affidavit, photocopies of the tickets were attached with the application, he said. Is on March 31,” the bench said.
"The fact is that on the day the affidavits were sworn, no such stamp was in existence and, therefore, the impression that the defendants were trying to avoid their personal appearance before this Court is most unacceptable. " ,
In their latest affidavits filed in the apex court, both Ramdev and Balkrishna have stated how they had instructed their travel agents to take steps to release the tickets on March 30.
Ramdev said in his affidavit, “It was my intention to place before this court the tickets issued to me to prove the genuineness of my statement regarding my travel.He said the travel agent had issued the tickets on March 31.
"Only after receiving the said stamps, which were enclosed, the SAI application was filed before this Court. I sincerely regret the omission in the affidavit supporting the IA (literally interim application for leave to appeal) Regretfully, because the air ticket was dated March 31, 2024 whereas the affidavit was dated March 30, 2024 and the application was e-filed at midnight of March 31/April 1, 2024,'' he said.
The bench fixed the next hearing of the case on April 16.The top court is hearing a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), alleging a defamation campaign against the Covid vaccination drive and the modern system of medicine.
In its November 21, 2023 order, the top court had said that the lawyer representing Patanjali Ayurveda had assured it that "there will be no violation of any law henceforth, especially in the products manufactured and marketed by it No incidental statement relating to the advertising or branding of products and, moreover, making claims of medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine, shall be released in the media in any form.The top court had said that Patanjali Ayurveda Ltd "is bound by such assurance".
