New Delhi: In yet another setback for Patanjali, three persons, including Patanjali Ayurved’s assistant manager, were sentenced to imprisonment for six months by a Uttarakhand court for a failed quality test of the company’s Navratna Elaichi Soan Papdi.
According to sources, a food safety inspector had raised concern about the quality of Patanjali Navratna Elaichi Soan Papdi sold at Lila Dhar Pathak’s in the main market of Berinag in Pithoragarh in 2019 following which notices were issued to Kanaha Ji Distributor, Ramnagar, and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd Haridwar.
In December 2020, the product failed in a quality test conducted at a testing laboratory in Rudrapur. A notice was sent by the laboratory to the state food safety department over the sweet’s substandard quality. Cases were also filed against businessman Lila Dhar Pathak, distributor Ajay Joshi, and Patanjali assistant manager Abhishek Kumar.
Hearing the case, Sanjay Singh, the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Pithoragarh of Uttarakhand sentenced Assistant General Manager of Patanjali Food and Herbal Park in Laksar Abhishek Kumar, Assistant Manager of Kanha Ji Distributor Private Limited Ramnagar Ajay Joshi and shopkeeper Leeladhar Pathak to six months imprisonment and fines of Rs 5,000, Rs 25,000, and Rs 5,000 respectively, India Today reported.
The judgement comes amid a contempt plea against Patanjali, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna in the Patanjali misleading advertisements court in the Supreme Court.