New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday restrained Patanjali Ayurved from advertising or branding products meant for treating diseases. It also made several scathing observations against the company, which was founded by Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev.

The court issued notices to Patanjali and its managing director Acharya Balkrishna, asking why contempt proceedings shouldn’t be started against them.

A bench of justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah also cautioned the company and its officers against making any media statements, both in print and electronic, against any system of medicine in any form as stated in their undertaking on November 21 last year.

Hearing a plea of the Indian Medical Association alleging that the company has been running a smear campaign against allopathic medicine, the court said the entire country “has been taken for a ride”.

On the publication of advertisements after the November order of the apex court, it said the company had flouted its order.

“You have the courage and guts to come up with this advertisement even after the Supreme Court’s order… We are going to pass a very strict order. You are tempting the court”.

The IMA counsel said Patanjali Ayurved was still making “incorrect assertions and misrepresentation” over its medicines.

The court said prima facie, it found Patanjali Ayurved of violating its order.

The court said: “You are a person who can do anything. That’s what we get from looking at these advertisements. The fact remains that you are selling your product to people as a ‘permanent relief’. This itself is misleading and a violation of the law.”

When Patanjali’s lawyer objected to the court restraining the company from issuing advertisements, the court said, “Common, gullible people are involved. Prima facie it appears you have flouted our orders. We are not satisfied with the way you have proceeded with the case and are going about it. This must stop immediately.”

With inputs from PTI