Bombay HC Imposes Additional Rs 4 Cr Penalty On Patanjali Breaching Court Order

The Bombay High Court has imposed an additional cost of Rs 4 crore on Patanjali for allegedly breaching a 2023 interim order of the court that restrained the company from selling its camphor products in relation to a trademark infringement case filed by Mangalam Organics.

Patanjali has disregarded the court order in a "wilful and deliberate" manner, according to the bench of Justice R I Chagla. The bench declared that it was beyond any reasonable question that Patanjali intended to disobey the court's order.

The bench made this decision after observing that the brand was still producing and selling the product in defiance of the court's earlier ruling. Patanjali's attorney, Zal Andhyarujina, told the bench that it was hard to explain and that the previous director of the business had communicated the court's directives, but they were not followed through on. The current director had previously expressed regret for this.

"The apology comes with an explanation," Andhyarujina stressed.

Still, the bench noted that Patanjali was a "very wealthy company" and that it could not be allowed to walk away “scot-free.”

Judge Chagla gave Patanjali a two-week deadline to deposit Rs. 4 crore. This would be on top of the Rs. 50 lakh that Patanjali was ordered to deposit earlier in the month by the court.