Stories
PIL Demands Time-Bound Probe, Trial in Fake Drug Cases to Combat National Crisis
- •A PIL in the Supreme Court seeks a uniform national framework to address the manufacture and sale of fake and adulterated medicines, citing gaps in the current system.
- •The PIL, filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, requests the Centre and States to complete fake drug investigations within three months and trials within one year.
- •It also calls for time-bound forensic examination, mandatory videography of search and seizure, and a standard operating procedure for investigation and prosecution.
- •The petition proposes assessment and confiscation of properties of fake drug manufacturers, sellers, and financiers under PMLA, Benami Property Act, and Black Money Act.
- •The plea highlights recent incidents of fake cancer drugs supplied to Bengaluru hospitals and cough syrup deaths, arguing the problem extends beyond isolated cases.
Key Questions Answered
A public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the Supreme Court requests a uniform national framework to combat the manufacture and sale of fake and adulterated medicines, demanding a three-month deadline for investigations and a one-year limit for trials.
The petition proposes time-bound forensic testing, mandatory videography for search and seizures, financial investigations under strict anti-money laundering laws, a graded sentencing policy, and a digital monitoring system to track cases.
The petitioner cited recent cases of spurious cancer drugs supplied to numerous hospitals in Bengaluru alongside earlier cough syrup deaths, arguing that current laws like the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 lack comprehensive provisions for tackling organized crime syndicates.
