Patanjali Ayurved Limited, Ltd, led by Yoga Ramdev is once again under legal scrutiny. The Delhi High Court on Friday issued a notice alleging that the herbal tooth powder, Divya Dant Manjan, contains non-vegetarian ingredients and has been misbranded as vegetarian.

The petition filed by lawyer Yatin Sharma, claims that despite “Divya Dant Manjan” which is being marketed with a green dot (an indicator of vegetarian status), the product contains “samudraphen”, a fish-derived compound.

Read also: “Yeh Hatya Hai”: Father Of Girl Found Hanging In UP As Police Say Suicide

The petitioner highlighted this as misbranding under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The petitioner’s counsel argued that though the law doesn’t mandate specific labeling for drugs as vegetarian, the use of the green dot qualifies as “misbranding” under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

The matter would be heard next in November.

Justice Sanjeev Narula had issued notice to the Centre, the FSSAI as well as Patanjali, Divya Pharmacy, Yoga guru Ramdev, and other related parties on Sharma’s petition.

The petitioner represented by advocates Swapnil Chaudhary and Prashant Gupta, said the discovery was “distressing” for him and his family, particularly because they adhere to a strict vegetarian diet due to religious beliefs.

“Respondent No. 3 (Patanjali Ayurveda) is selling the same product with a green dot on their official website, indicating that the product is vegetarian in nature, which is contradictory.

“The Petitioner seeks redressal for the profound distress caused by the inadvertent consumption of a non-vegetarian product, emphasizing the importance of upholding religious beliefs and ensuring transparency in product representation,” the petition, filed through lawyers Mohit Solanki and Pulkit Chaudhary, stated.

The Patanjali group has been trapped in a series of legal complications in recent times.

On August 12, the Supreme Court closed contempt proceedings against Patanjali, its key aide Balkrishna, and Ramdev. The case was filed from allegations that Patanjali violated the court’s order related to misleading advertisements about its products.

Read also: ‘No Song For Badlapur’: TMC Leader On Arijit Singh’s Song On Kolkata Rape-Murder

Following this, the Supreme Court had to issue a warning to Patanjali, demanding compliance with legal standards and ceasing any misleading claims about its products’ medicinal benefits. The court has also found that the Patanjali had initially failed to adhere to these undertakings, leading to contempt proceedings.

Patanjali had allegedly continued to mislead the public about the efficacy of its products and the Covid-19 vacation drive. The Supreme Court finally accepted an unqualified apology from Patanjali and its representatives. However, the court closed the contempt case cautioning against future violations.