Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, widely recognised as 'The Liver Doctor,' addressed the suspension of his 'X' account in response to a legal demand, stating, "The Liver Doctor has been withheld globally in response to a legal demand," as displayed on his 'X' page.
A Bengaluru civil court, on September 24, issued an ex-parte injunction order, resulting in the suspension of Dr Philips' 'X' account following a complaint filed by Himalaya Wellness Company regarding his defamatory remarks about the brand and its products.
In a conversation with IndiaToday.in, Dr Philips, known for his opposition to Ayurveda, referred to the complainants as "cowards" and suggested they challenge his "scientific" claims instead. He remarked, "Himalaya is showing their cowardice. They are acting like cowards in this situation instead of providing scientific rebuttals to my posts or my claims against their products."
Dr Philips disclosed that the company alleged that all his posts against their products and practices were "defamatory" and had caused them significant business losses. He further stated that the company accused him of making these "derogatory remarks" at the "behest of modern pharma companies."
He emphasised, "All of these are baseless claims because every post of mine on Himalaya products, especially the Liv.52, their flagship product, is backed by scientific evidence from where I have analysed their products showing adulteration, contamination, and substandard contents."
Dr Philips asserted that there is absolutely no regulation on these products and that he had previously shared published data demonstrating that "some of these products are dangerous for people, especially those with chronic liver disease."
He added, "Every post that I have made on Himalaya or Himalaya products showcases the lack of scientific evidence, the lack of regulation, the lack of standardisation, and the presence of adulteration and contamination of products that have harmed liver patients."
'The Liver Doctor' revealed that he and his team had conducted a study on people who developed liver injury after consuming Liv.52, a popular Himalaya product. He mentioned, "The paper is currently under peer review. I have all the data and analysis that prove every claim I have made against Himalaya and their products. They are doing it out of vendetta against me because they can't give a proper, straightforward answer to any of the posts that I have made."
Dr Abby Philips has been active on 'X' (formerly Twitter) since 2019.
Himalaya Wellness Company alleged that Dr Philips had made "derogatory statements and materials" against their products and materials by characterizing the expert's posts as "false and not justified."
As per The Liver Doctor, the company also claimed to have suffered business losses due to his posts.
The judgment indicated the necessity of issuing an ad-interim ex-parte injunction directing the party responsible for posting such materials to remove them promptly to minimize any harm caused to the affected party.
The next court hearing in this matter is scheduled for January 5, 2024.
(With inputs from Daphne Clarance)