New Delhi(PTI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority for inaction in the misleading advertisements case involving Patanjali Ayurved Limited.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the explanation offered by the body, a bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah observed it appeared that the licensing authority got activated to take action in accordance with the law only after the apex court's April 10 order.

"Be honest to the court if you want sympathy and compassion…," the bench observed.

The top court said its main concern is whether the licensing body took action in accordance with the law in the matter.

The bench has posted the matter for hearing on May 14.

While hearing the matter on April 10, the apex court came down heavily on the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority for inaction and said it was not going to take it lightly as the body appeared to have kept its "eyes shut deliberately".

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New Delhi (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday raided the premises of retired IAS officer and former Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) secretary Ramesh Abhishek as part of a disproportionate assets linked money laundering probe against him, official sources said.

The ED case stems from a recent CBI FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the 1982-batch officer. He was raided by the CBI in February.

Abhishek retired in 2019 from the DPIIT (erstwhile Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion).

The ED is searching the premises of Abhishek as part of a money laundering investigation, the sources said.

The CBI had alleged in its FIR that Abhishek enriched himself "illicitly" after retirement by receiving "huge amounts" as consultation fee from private companies whose matters he had dealt while in service.

The CBI and ED have also booked his daughter Vanessa.

The retired officer also held the post of chairman, Forward Markets Commission, and the CBI case was booked against him on a reference from anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal.

The Lokpal has alleged that the father-daughter duo received big amounts as professional fee from various entities and organisations with whom the former IAS officer had official dealings as the secretary or the chairman.