The Supreme Court was on Tuesday informed that the Chhattisgarh Police has filed a closure report in connection with a case registered against yoga guru Ramdev over his alleged disparaging remarks against allopathic medicines during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Satish Chandra Sharma took note of the submission made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who told the court that the complaints appeared to have been “sponsored” by certain vested interests. Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, representing Ramdev, added that while Chhattisgarh has filed its response, Bihar was yet to do so as directed earlier. The matter was adjourned for hearing in December.
The controversy dates back to 2021, when Ramdev made public remarks questioning the efficacy of allopathic medicines, prompting strong protests from the medical community. The Patna and Raipur chapters of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) lodged complaints, alleging that his statements could mislead people and undermine Covid treatment protocols.
Ramdev was subsequently booked under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Disaster Management Act, 2005. He impleaded the Centre, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and the IMA in his petition before the Supreme Court, seeking a stay on criminal proceedings.
The Delhi Medical Association (DMA), which represents around 15,000 doctors, also sought to join the case, claiming that Ramdev had “insulted” allopathy and discouraged vaccination efforts. The DMA alleged that Patanjali, Ramdev’s company, profited over ₹1,000 crore through sales of its “Coronil” kits during the pandemic, even though the product was not formally approved by regulatory authorities.
Following criticism from the medical fraternity and intervention by then Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, who termed the remarks “inappropriate,” Ramdev withdrew his statements. Dave argued that Ramdev’s comments reflected his personal belief in Ayurveda and that multiple complaints against him were unnecessary.
The apex court had earlier directed that the complainants be impleaded as parties. With Chhattisgarh filing its closure report and Bihar yet to submit its response, the matter will now be taken up in December.
