HC denies bail to influencer after over 70 people hospitalised upon using his home-made hair oil

In a recent incident, a social media influencer has been denied anticipatory bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, over his claims of hair growth upon using his homemade oil, which eventually led to hospitalisation of over over 70 people in Punjab’s Sangrur, several publications reported.

The High Court found the claims made by him to be misleading and not backed by any clinical testing.

As per media reports, the incident occurred on March 16 at the Kali Mata Temple in Sangrur, wherein the man named Amandeep Singh applied the oil on attendees of a camp and he claimed that it would help them combat baldness.

However, within a couple of hours, people reported that they felt burning sensations in their eyes, facial swelling. They were then taken to Civil Hospital, Sangrur for treatment wherein the senior medical officer diagnosed the reaction as severe contact dermatitis.

Doctors said that if the reaction affected the eyes’ corneas, it could lead to some victims even losing their vision.

Amandeep Singh has applied for a patent for his homemade hair oil and also claimed that the reactions after applying the oil must have been the result of improper application by the users.

Highlighting his work as a hairstylist with over 86,000 thousand followers on social media,Sing’s counsel stated that he was only trying to help people to combat hair loss with the hair oil.

"In a bid to meet fickle societal standards of beauty, vulnerable people go to extreme lengths and even undergo risky procedures. The constant pressure to look a certain way often has a deleterious effect on the mental health of children and adults alike. In fact, in this day and age where social media and marketing agendas so deeply affect one's self-esteem, we, as a society, must endeavour to promote authenticity over curated perfection," Justice Harpreet Singh Brar of the HC observed in his order released on Thursday, as per a media report.

In an order on May 12, the court strongly criticised the online influencers’ role in exploiting a person’s insecurities for profit.

Quoting Shakespeare, the judge said, “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind”. “This is yet another unfortunate example of internet-famous, unqualified quacks taking advantage of the common man’s insecurities,” he added.

“Advertising tall, misleading claims without scientific backing must be condemned,” the judge further stated. He also mentioned that it was the responsibility of the state to ensure that trust is maintained in the market and public health is protected.

"Maintenance of general public health as well as a sense of trust in the market is a duty of the state that must be performed with utmost sincerity. The role of so-called beauty and fitness influencers in setting unrealistic standards by creating a make-believe world cannot be overlooked," the high court held as mentioned in the media report.

The investigation continues as Singh has been booked under charges including Section 124 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Section 7 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.