Delhi HC restrains Patanjali from airing ‘dhoka’ chyawanprash advertisement

New Delhi, Nov 11: The Delhi High Court on Monday passed an interim order restraining Patanjali Ayurved from broadcasting or streaming its new advertisement that allegedly described all other chyawanprash brands as “dhoka” (fraud or deception), Bar & Bench reported.

Delhi High Court directed social media companies, OTT platforms and television broadcasters to block the advertisement within three days, ordering Patanjali to take it down from all electronic, print and digital platforms.

The order came after Dabur India filed a suit against Patanjali Ayurved for disparagement and unfair competition, arguing that the advertisement for Patanjali Special Chyawanprash maligned rival brands and misled consumers by claiming that only Patanjali’s product was the “true” chyawanprash.

The court observed that the commercial, featuring Baba Ramdev, sought to “disparage the entire category of chyawanprash products,” adding that Dabur, as the market leader, was likely to suffer harm.