The Indian Bar Association has taken legal action against the World Health Organization's (WHO) Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan for her alleged role in spreading disinformation on the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19.

The association served a legal notice (pdf) on Swaminathan on May 25, claiming that she was "spreading disinformation and misguiding the people of India, in order to fulfill her agenda" and sought to prevent her from "causing further damage."

They further say that Swaminathan, in her statements against the use of ivermectin, ignored research and clinical trials from two organizations - the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care (FLCCC) Alliance and the British Ivermectin Recommendation Development (BIRD) - who have presented solid data showing ivermectin prevents and treats COVID-19.

"Dr. Soumya Swaminathan has ignored these studies/reports and has deliberately suppressed the data regarding effectiveness of the drug Ivermectin, with an intent to dissuade the people of India from using Ivermectin," the plaintiff said in a statement (pdf).

In a May 10 tweet that has since been deleted after the notice was issued, Swaminathan wrote, "Safety and efficacy are important when using any drug for a new indication. WHO recommends against the use of ivermectin for COVID-19 except within clinical trials."