Patanjali faces investigations over continued sales of banned products

Recent investigations by Hindustan Times have uncovered a controversy involving Patanjali Ayurved, where 14 of its products banned by the Uttarakhand state licensing department in April are still being sold across various cities in India. This discovery has raised legal and regulatory concerns, prompting the intervention of the Supreme Court of India.

Responding to reports that these banned products were still available, the Supreme Court directed Ayurved to provide proof that it has stopped both selling and advertising these items. Despite Patanjali’s claims that it had instructed all its stores and advertising platforms to comply with the ban, Hindustan Times journalists were able to purchase most of these products with receipts from stores in New Delhi, Lucknow, Patna, and Dehradun.

The court’s decision came in the middle of conflicting information from the Uttarakhand government. Initially, the state had imposed a ban in April, but later, another department reportedly revoked it on procedural grounds. Nevertheless, stated that it had not received official communication about the ban being lifted, and thus, it continued to comply with the Supreme Court’s orders to halt sales.

Patanjali’s Response and Legal Actions

In response to the court’s directive, Patanjali’s lawyers agreed to submit an affidavit within two weeks confirming whether the company had followed through on withdrawing the 14 banned ayurvedic formulations. Gautam Talukdar, Patanjali’s advocate-on-record in the Supreme Court, emphasized that until they receive official notification of the ban’s revocation, the company will adhere to the suspension imposed by the Uttarakhand state licensing authority.

During their visits to Patanjali stores, Hindustan Times reporters found varying levels of compliance with the ban. In some stores, the banned products were available for purchase, while in others, they were out of stock with promises of restocking soon.

Instances of Non-Compliance

For instance, in a store in New Delhi’s New Friends Colony, seven out of the 14 banned products were on shelves, and the storekeeper mentioned that these products sell quickly and would be restocked soon. Likewise, in Patna’s Lok Nayak Bhawan, Patanjali products were being sold without any communication from the company to stop sales, citing disruptions in supply chain operations during recent elections.

Despite these findings, Patanjali stores in Lucknow and Dehradun also verified the availability of most banned products, with storekeepers dismissing rumors of a ban as misinformation spread by competitors.

The 14 banned Patanjali products include Swasari Gold, Swasari Vati, Bronchom, Swasari Pravahi, Swasari Avaleh, Mukta Vati Extra Power, Lipidom, BP Grit, Madhugrit, Madhunashini Vati Extra Power, Livamrit Advance, Livogrit, Eyegrit Gold, and Patanjali Drishti Eye Drop.

This controversy emphasizes broader issues of regulatory oversight and corporate compliance in the herbal and ayurvedic products sector. The upcoming hearing on July 30 in the Supreme Court is expected to provide further clarity on Patanjali’s adherence to the ban and the regulatory implications involved.

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