'Chased profit by exploiting Public Fear', HC imposes ₹10 lakh fine on Patanjali over Coronil medicine

The Madras High Court on Thursday banned Patanjali Ayurved Limited and Divya Yog Mandir Trust from trademarking "Coronil" for medicine it developed and promoted as a cure for novel coronavirus.

The high court also slapped a fine of Rs 10 lakh on the company for "chasing profits by exploiting the fear and panic among the general public by projecting a cure for coronavirus when actually their 'coronil tablet' is not a cure but rather an immunity booster for cold, cough and fever".

The order was given Justice CV Kartikeyan while hearing a suit filed by Arudra Engineers Private Limited - a Chennai-based firm that claimed that ‘Coronil’ is a trademark owned by it since 1993. The company’s registered trademark, called ‘CORONIL-92 B’, is an acid inhibitor product to clean heavy machinery and chemical preparations for industrial use.

The court order said that 'there are organisations helping people in this critical period without seeking recognition and it would be appropriate for the defendants to pay costs to them'.

As per the order, Patanjali Ayurved Limited and Divya Yog Mandir Trust, also owned by Ramdev, will have to jointly pay Rs 5 lakh to Adyar Cancer Institute and Rs 5 lakh to Government Yoga and Naturopathy Medical College and Hospital 'as both these organisations provided treatment free of cost, tradename, patent or design and only on the motto of service'.

The defendants have been asked to pay the fine by August 21.

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