FIR against Ramdev Baba, Patanjali CEO, others for claiming to develop COVID-19 cure

FIR against Ramdev Baba, Patanjali CEO, others for claiming to develop COVID-19 cure

An FIR has been registered against Yoga guru Ramdev, Patanjali CEO Acharya Balkrishna, NIMS University, Jaipur, Director Dr Balbir Singh Tomar and others for their claiming to develop a cure for the coronavirus while the pandemic is wreaking havoc across the globe. 

According to Additional Commissioner of Police, Jaipur, Ashok Gupta, the FIR has been registered in Jyotinagar police station based on the complaint of an advocate of Rajasthan High Court. 

"We had received complaints at multiple police stations against Ramdev for claiming to have developed a medicine which cures coronavirus. Therefore, we have registered a case against Ramdev, his associate Balkrishna, NIMS Director Dr Tomar, based on a complaint by advocate Balram Jakhar," Gupta told reporters here. 

Meanwhile, the advocate, who had filed the complaint said that the claim made by Ramdev and his associates "reeks of criminal intent", especially because it has come at a time when the world is facing the brunt of the pandemic. 

"On June 23 Ramdev held a press conference in Patanjali Research Institute, Haridwar. Many people were on the stage during the conference, and they claimed that they have developed a cure, Coronil, for coronavirus and it will make COVID-19 positive patients negative within three days. The AYUSH Ministry and Centre have refuted these claims and asked all documents related to these claims and till date, it has not verified that the medicine fulfils the parameters of WHO and AYUSH Ministry," Jakhar said.

"Therefore, this attempt reeks of criminal intent and therefore, I lodged an FIR at Jyotinagar police station under various sections of the law," he added. 

Earlier, Acharya Balkrishna had said that all procedures were followed to manufacture the medicine, Coronil, and they have not done anything wrong while obtaining the licence. 

This comes after MoS for the Union Ayush Ministry Shripad Naik had said that Patanjali Ayurved should not have advertised its newly-launched Ayurvedic drugs for COVID-19 before getting final approvals.