Patanjali Ayurved under scrutiny over 'suspicious' financial transactions: Reports
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs is probing the fund diversion and breaches of corporate governance. The Haridwar-based firm has been given roughly two months to respond to the ministry's notice.
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Baba Ramdev-led Patanjali Ayurved is facing renewed scrutiny from authorities over financial transactions flagged as suspicious by federal economic intelligence agencies, as per reports.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has issued a formal notice to the Haridwar-based firm, seeking clarification on what officials described as potential fund diversions and lapses in corporate governance, according to a report by Bloomberg. The company has been granted approximately two months to respond.
The probe marks the latest chapter in a series of legal and regulatory entanglements for Patanjali and its affiliates, which have drawn increasing attention from courts and government agencies alike.
Last year, one of the firm’s subsidiaries received show-cause notices from the central government over alleged non-payment of taxes and improper claims for refunds. In a separate matter, the Supreme Court barred the company from promoting its products as cures for specific ailments — a move seen as a rebuke to Patanjali’s aggressive marketing practices.
More recently, the Delhi High Court directed Baba Ramdev to submit a sworn affidavit committing to refrain from issuing communal or derogatory statements — online or otherwise — about rival companies. The order followed a legal complaint from Hamdard Foundation, maker of the iconic herbal drink Rooh Afza, which accused Ramdev of making disparaging remarks against its products.
In addition, The Hindu reported that 26 cases have been filed in courts across Kerala against Patanjali Ayurved and its leadership under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act of 1954, a law aimed at curbing misleading health-related promotions.
Patanjali is also entangled in a high-profile intellectual property dispute. In 2023, the Bombay High Court temporarily stayed an earlier judgment that had ordered Patanjali to pay ₹4.5 crore in damages to Mangalam Organics Ltd., the world’s largest camphor manufacturer, over alleged trademark infringement.
(This is a developing story. More details awaited)
