Patanjali misleading ads: Baba Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna move Kerala court to recall arrest warrant

Acharya Balkrishna (left) and Baba Ramdev. 

Credit: Reuters File Photo

Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna moved an application at a Kerala trial court, seeking a recall of the non-bailable arrest warrants against them in the misleading advertisement case against Patanjali, Bar and Bench reported.

The arrest warrant was issued over them failing to attend a court hearing scheduled earlier this month.

Ramdev and Balkrishna have filed the application under Section 205 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which deals with the trial courts' discretion to exempt accused persons from having to personally appear for court hearings and instead be represented by their lawyers.

Initially, Judicial First-Class Magistrate-II had issued a available warrant to secure the duo's presence in the court. Following their failure to appear before the court once again on February 1, a non-bailable warrant was issued. The matter was then adjourned to February 6.

The matter on their application against the warrant has also been listed for February 6.

The warrant was issued in relation to the misleading ads case registered before the Palakkad trial court drugs inspector at Palakkad against Divya Pharmacy, an affiliate of Patanjali Ayurved.

The case includes allegations that advertisements published by Divya Pharmacy violated the provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.