The chief judicial magistrate in Pithoragarh has sentenced three individuals, including an assistant manager from Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, to six months in prison following the failure of Patanjali Soan Papdi in a quality test. The incident, which took place in 2019, involved a food safety inspector raising concerns about the quality of Patanjali Navratna Elaichi Soan Papdi sold at Lila Dhar Pathak’s shop in Berinag’s main market.
Subsequent investigations led to the collection of samples and the issuance of notices to Kanaha Ji Distributor in Ramnagar and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd in Haridwar. By December 2020, the testing laboratory in Rudrapur reported substandard quality of the Patanjali Soan Papdi to the state food safety department.
Legal action was taken against businessman Lila Dhar Pathak, distributor Ajay Joshi, and Patanjali’s assistant manager Abhishek Kumar. Alongside their prison sentences, fines of ₹5,000, ₹10,000, and ₹25,000 were imposed on the three individuals, respectively.
In a related development, the Supreme Court recently queried Patanjali Ayurved Ltd about the cessation of sales of 14 products whose manufacturing licenses were suspended by the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority. Senior advocate Balbir Singh, representing Patanjali, confirmed that the sales had been halted. The court has asked for affidavits detailing the steps taken to retract advertisements for these products, to be submitted within three weeks.
The court has reserved orders on the contempt notice issued to Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, its founders Balkrishna and Ramdev. Until further orders, Ramdev and Balkrishna are not required to appear in court.
This case highlights the significant repercussions following the quality issues with Patanjali Soan Papdi, reflecting the broader regulatory and legal challenges faced by Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.
