KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday stayed all proceedings in a lower court against Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, his associate Acharya Balakrishna and their company Divya Pharmacy in a “misleading” advertisement case.

Justice V G Arun stayed the proceedings in the Palakkad Magisterial Court for three months, saying there was prima facie merit in their claim that cognisance of the offence was taken after the period of limitation.

“There appears to be prima facie merit in the submission of the senior counsel (for the petitioners) that going by section 3(d) read along with section 7 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, as well as section 550 of the BNSS, 2023, the cognisance of the offence is taken beyond the period of limitation.

“Hence, there shall be an interim stay of further proceedings in ST No. 1547 of 2024 on the files of the Judicial Magistrate of First Class-II, Palakkad, for three months,” the High Court said.