FIR in Rajasthan against Ramdev, aides over ‘Coronil’

JAIPUR: A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed in Rajasthan against yoga teacher Ramdev, his aide and chief executive officer of Patanjali Ayurved Limited, Acharya Balkrishna, and three others for allegedly making misleading claims that the company has found a cure for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) called Coronil.

The FIR was filed at the Jyoti Nagar police station in Jaipur on Friday evening by an advocate, Balbir Jakhar.

A case against Ramdev, Balkrishna, Dr Balbir Singh Tomar, Dr. Anurag Tomar and Anurag Varshney is being investigated on the basis of the FIR lodged by Jakhar, said Avnish Parashar, additional deputy commissioner of police (DCP), south, Jaipur.

Dr Balbir Singh Tomar is chairman of NIMS University in Jaipur where clinical trials on Coronil were carried out , Dr Anurag Tomar is director, NIMS University and Varshney is a scientist at Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.

“The accused have put the life of common people at risk. Neither the Rajasthan government nor the Centre was informed about the clinical trials about Coronil,” Jhakhar said.

Acharya Balkrishna refused to comment on the FIR being lodged. However, Patanjali spokesperson Gagan Kumar, said, “Patanjali never termed Coronil as anti-Corona medicine. If a case has been registered against us regarding it, then our legal cell will reply accordingly.”

His comment is at odds with the title under which the clinical trial was registered with the clinical trials regulator: an ayurvedic cure for the coronavirus disease.

Kumar added: “Nobody should question Patanjali’s patriotic intent and social welfare works.”