FIR registered against Ramdev under non-bailable sections of IPC by police in Raipur

An FIR has been lodged against yoga guru Ramdev in Raipur under non-bailable sections of the IPC based on a complaint filed by the Chhattisgarh unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) alleging that he was involved in spreading “false” information about the medicines being used by the medical fraternity for the treatment of COVID-19.

Ramkrishna Yadav alias Baba Ramdev was booked under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and others of the IPC and provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005, Raipur’s Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Yadav said.

Further investigation into the matter is underway, he added.

Chairman of Hospital Board IMA (Chhattisgarh) Dr Rakesh Gupta, IMA’s Raipur president and Vikas Agrawal were among doctors who had earlier lodged the complaint.

As per the complaint, since over the last one year, Ramdev has been allegedly propagating false information and issuing threatening statements on social media against medicines being used by medical fraternity, Government of India, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and other frontline organisations in treatment of COVID.

There are several videos of him on social media in which he had allegedly made such misleading remarks, it said.

At a time when doctors, paramedical staff and all branches of government and administration have been together battling COVID-19, Ramdev has been allegedly misleading people about established and approved treatment methods, the complaint said.

Ramdev’s remarks on modern medical facilities and allopathy medicines, which have been curing over 90 percent of the patients, would put the lives of people in danger, it alleged.

“During the investigation of the complaint, it was found that his statements amount to violation of the notification of the Chhattisgarh government dated March 13 last year,” the official said.

The notification states that no person/institution/organisation will use any print or electronic media for information regarding COVID-19 without prior permission of the state’s Health Department. This is to avoid spread of any rumour or unauthenticated information regarding COVID-19.

Police complaints have earlier also been lodged against Ramdev by the West Bengal and Gujarat chapters of the IMA.

The West Bengal chapter had lodged a complaint at Sinthi police station in Kolkata accusing Ramdev of creating confusion among the public with "misleading and false information" during the pandemic.

Senior doctors and office-bearers of the Gujarat unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Ahmedabad Medical Association (AMA) had submitted separate applications to the Navrangpura police, seeking action against Ramdev.

On June 1, the IMA had issued an open letter that Ramdev had "irreparably" damaged the government's efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and people creating confusion during such a time are "anti-national".

The doctors' body alleged that Ramdev thought it fit to launch his tirade against national Covid treatment protocols and the vaccination programme to look for an opportunity to "market" his products.

"People creating confusion during an epidemic regarding national treatment protocols and the national vaccination programme are traitors and anti-nationals. They are anti-people and anti-humanity. They deserve no mercy," it said.

(With agency inputs)