BIS seizes Rs 2.5 cr worth of counterfeit goods in major Flipkart warehouse raid
Bengaluru, Apr 22 (PTI): The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on Wednesday announced that during a search and seizure operation at the largest warehouse in South India, operated by Instakart Services Private Limited (trading under the name Flipkart), it was found that the firm was allegedly storing and selling products that violated the quality control orders issued by the central government and the BIS Act, 2016.
The estimated market value of the seized items is around Rs 2.5 crore, it said.
The operation, conducted on April 22 by the BIS's Bangalore Branch Office, revealed that several product models seized from the premises were not licensed, misused the ISI mark and registration mark, and violated the terms and conditions of the BIS license.
"Some of these products fall under the Compulsory Registration Scheme (CRS), while others are subject to Mandatory Certification by BIS, in accordance with the QCOs. These orders mandate that no product shall be manufactured or sold without a valid BIS license and compliance with the relevant Indian Standards," said a BIS statement.
According to the BIS, approximately 104 varieties, comprising around 17,500 units—including wireless earbuds, Bluetooth earphones, speakers, toys, footwear, cables, and more—were found in violation and seized.
The BIS team, led by Narender Reddy Beesu (Director) and other senior officials, confirmed that a case would be filed in a court of law.
"Legal action will be initiated against the firm under Section 17(3) read with Section 29 of the BIS Act, 2016. The Act provides for imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of not less than Rs 2 lakh for the first offence. For subsequent offences, the fine shall not be less than Rs 5 lakh, and may extend up to ten times the value of the goods, or both, as determined by the court," the statement added.
The BIS urged consumers to always verify the BIS Standard Mark (ISI mark) and license number of manufacturers before making purchases.
The authenticity of a license and the relevant Indian Standard can be verified through the BIS CARE mobile app, it said.
During the operation, the team also educated warehouse personnel on how to check product compliance before allowing sellers to store goods on the premises.
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High courts upheld only 8 per cent of death sentences; SC confirms none in recent years: Report
New Delhi (PTI): Highlighting that a high acquittal rate of death row convicts by the Supreme Court and high courts demonstrates a pattern of "erroneous or unjustified convictions", a study of 10 years of death penalty data has revealed that the top court did not confirm any death sentences in recent years.
The study by Square Circle Clinic, a criminal laws advocacy group with the NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad, found that an overwhelming majority of death sentences imposed by trial courts did not withstand scrutiny at higher judicial levels. Acquittals far outnumbered confirmations at both the high courts and Supreme Court levels.
According to the report, the trial courts across India awarded 1,310 death sentences in 822 cases between 2016 and 2025. High courts considered 842 of these sentences in confirmation proceedings but upheld only 70 or 8.31 per cent.
In contrast, 258 death sentences (30.64 per cent) resulted in acquittals. The study noted that the acquittal rate at the high court level was nearly four times the confirmation rate.
Data showed that of the 70 death sentences confirmed by high courts, the Supreme Court decided 38 and did not uphold a single one. The apex court has confirmed no death sentences between 2023 and 2025.
"Wrongful or erroneous or unjustified convictions, then, are not random or freak accidents in the Indian criminal justice system. The data indicates they are a persistent and serious systemic concern," the report said.
Over the last decade, high courts adjudicated 1,085 death sentences in 647 cases, confirming only 106 (9.77 per cent). During this period, 326 persons in 191 cases, were acquitted.
The report attributed low confirmation rates to the appellate judiciary’s concerns regarding failures in due process. "This coincides with increased Supreme Court scrutiny of safeguards at the sentencing stage," the report said.
Of the 153 death sentences decided by the apex court over the last decade, the accused were acquitted in 38 cases. In 2025 alone, high courts overturned death sentences into acquittals in 22 out of 85 cases (over 25 per cent). The same year, Supreme Court acquitted accused persons in more than half of the death penalty cases it decided (10 out of 19), the report said.
The study highlighted that 364 persons who were ultimately acquitted "should not even have been convicted and unjustifiably suffered the trauma of death row". It added that such failures extend beyond adjudication and reflect serious lapses in investigation and prosecution.
The question of remedies for wrongful convictions remains pending before the Supreme Court. In September 2025, three persons acquitted by the apex court filed writ petitions seeking compensation from the state and argued that their wrongful convictions violated their fundamental right to life and liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
"In 2022, the Supreme Court crystallised a sentencing process in Manoj v. State of Madhya Pradesh , and mandated all courts to follow those guidelines before imposing or confirming a death sentence," the report read.
In 2025, the apex court held in Vasanta Sampat Dupare v. Union of India that death penalty sentencing hearings form part of the right to a fair trial and stressed that capital punishment can be imposed only after a constitutionally compliant sentencing process.
"However, even at the high courts whether the process mandated under Manoj is being complied with is in doubt,” the report said.
