A criminal complaint against yoga guru ‘Baba’ Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved MD Acharya Balkrishna has been filed in a Bihar court upon allegations that their claim of developing a medicine for coronavirus is misleading and leaves lakhs of people at risk. The complaint was filed on Tuesday in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate by a Tamanna Hashmi, who has sought for an FIR to be registered on charges that include cheating, criminal conspiracy among others. Mr Tamanna is known to be a social worker and has on several occasions filed complaints against politicians over several issues. The court has said that a hearing will take place on June 30. 

In the complaint, it has been said that Baba Ramdev, the convenor of the Patanjali Research Institute, and his aide Balkrishna, the chairman of the organization, have been named as the accused. The complaint further states that Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna's claim of developing 'Coronil tablet' for coronavirus treatment is nothing else than misleading. In his complaint, Hashmi has pointed out to the Ayush Ministry informing Patanjali Ayurved to bring a stop to promotions for the claims about the medicine. He also said the Ayush Ministry had earlier said they were not notified with any information about the ayurvedic medicine's composition. The complainant has sought registration of a case under IPC sections 420 (cheating and dishonesty inducing delivery of property), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), among others.

Baba Ramdev had launched the 'Coronil tablet' and Swasari vati' medicines under his herbal medicine company, Patanjali Ayurved, claiming they can cure coronavirus in seven days. The company has also said the two Ayurveda-based medicines have displayed 100 percent positive results during COVID-19 clinical trials with the exception of infected patients on a life support system. The Ayush Ministry, however, in a statement denied any knowledge of the claim and details regarding the scientific study. A detailed report regarding the composition of the medicines including their testing and other important data are to be submitted by the company. Furthermore, the ministry has exercised a 1954 law, which informs Patanjali to "stop advertising/publicizing" claims of a medicine for coronavirus until a thorough examination on it has been conducted. 

Companies have been ordered with a government notification to not advertise a cure for coronavirus without an approval by the government. But it wasn’t immediately clear if the drug can still be sold. Baba Ramdev has stated the medicines have been developed by Patanjali Research Center, Haridwar and privately-owned National Institute of Medical Science, Jaipur as per protocols with clinically controlled trial-based evidence.