Delhi High Court to Rule on Doctors’ Plea Against Ramdev’s COVID Cure Claims

The Delhi High Court is set to announce its decision on a plea filed by several doctors’ associations against Yoga guru Ramdev regarding his claim that ‘Coronil’ is a “cure” for COVID-19. This plea is part of a lawsuit initiated in 2021 by doctors’ associations against Ramdev, his associate Acharya Balkrishna, and Patanjali Ayurveda. Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani, after hearing the arguments from both sides, had reserved the order on May 21.

The lawsuit alleges that Ramdev made “unsubstantiated claims” about ‘Coronil’ being a cure for COVID-19, despite the drug being licensed only as an “immuno-booster”.

The senior counsel representing the doctors had requested a direction to prohibit Ramdev and others from making similar statements in the future.

Various resident doctors’ associations, including those from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Rishikesh, Patna, Bhubaneswar, as well as the Association of Resident Doctors, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh; Union of Resident Doctors of Punjab (URDP); Resident Doctors’ Association, Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, Meerut; and the Telangana Junior Doctors’ Association, Hyderabad, had filed the lawsuit against Ramdev and others in 2021.

They alleged that there was a misinformation campaign and a marketing strategy to boost sales of products, including ‘Coronil’, as an alternative treatment for COVID-19. On October 27, 2021, the high court had issued summons to Ramdev and others, stating that the lawsuit was not frivolous and that there was a case for its consideration.