Criminal case filed against Baba Ramdev and Patanjali in Junnar

A Pune-based final-year law student has filed a private complaint in the court of chief judicial magistrate first class in Junnar, alleging that Baba Ramdev “is cheating people by propagating Patanjali Ayurved’s drug coronil as a cure for coronavirus disease”.

Kurhe of Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s Law College filed the complaint against Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved chairman Acharya Balkrishna under section 504 (intentional insult) and 34 (common intention), 420 (cheating) 120(B) (criminal conspiracy), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.

The court asked Madan Kurhe (25) on Wednesday to file copies of notices issued by Union Ayush Ministry to the yoga guru.

According to his complaint, Kurhe saw an interview of Ramdev on various news channels on June 24, 2020, that Patanjali had invented a medicine that can cure coronavirus-related health problems.

He stated in his complaint that during the pandemic “it is highly irresponsible, illegal on part of the accused and their company Patanjali to promote false hopes among people with the only objective of doing business”.