New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday questioned Patanjali Ayurved Limited over its television advertisement describing other Chyawanprash brands as “dhoka” (fraud), during the hearing of Dabur India’s plea alleging disparagement.

Justice Tejas Karia observed that while comparative advertising that highlights a product as “special” or others as “ordinary” is permissible, referring to competitors’ products as “dhoka” could amount to defamation. “Ordinary or special and dhoka are different. You are calling all other Chyawanprash except yours dhoka. The word in Hindi means fraud,” the judge remarked.

Dabur India, which holds over 60 percent of the Chyawanprash market, approached the court seeking an interim injunction against Patanjali’s 25-second advertisement titled “51 Herbs. 1 Tr

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