Expired medicines sold by re-stamping them as unexpired serious matter: HC
New Delhi, Nov 16: Terming as "serious" sale of expired drugs as unexpired by erasing the original manufacturing and expiry dates and re-stamping them, the Delhi High Court Friday said the Centre ought to look into the matter.
A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao said primarily such activities were "happening in Kolkata and Ahmedabad", where expired medicines were re-stamped as un-expired and routed to other places via Delhi.
Therefore, the central authorities have to look into it, the court said and issued notice to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). It also sought their replies to a lawyer's plea seeking directions to the government to curb sale of such medicines.
"It is a serious matter," the court said and listed it for further hearing on March 11.
Advocate Amit Sahni, in his PIL, has claimed that the original manufacturing and expiry dates as well as the maximum retail price (MRP) are erased from expired medicines by the offenders and the drugs are re-stamped as unexpired to sell them.
He said he filed the petition after coming across news reports of such activities taking place in West Bengal, where police had arrested some persons who were reselling expired medicines by changing the expiry dates.
The plea said "expired medicines sold as un-expired not only affect the health of the affected person(s), but the same leads to unnecessary financial burden, which does not serve the purpose in any manner".
It said there was a video on YouTube that showed how the original manufacturing and expiry dates as well as the MRP can be erased by aftershave lotions and then re-stamped with fresh details.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
