SHIMLA: Taking on the big pharma involved in spurious drug trade, High Court of Himachal Pradesh has today issued notice to the Chief Secretary to the Government of HP, State Drug Controller and others in connection with spurious drugs seized in Baddi in district Solan.
High Court has also issued notices to Principal Secretary(Home), Principal Secretary(Health), Deputy Commissioner Solan, Director Health Services and Superintendent of Police Solan seeking reply of the government.
A Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice A. A. Sayed and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua passed this order on a petition taken up 'suo motu' as Public Interest Litigation on the basis of a newspaper item that appeared in the different daily news papers on 23.11.2022.
As per news items, published in different news papers, three car occupants were detained by the Drugs Control Administration (DCA) at Barotiwala road and were arrested in connection with spurious medicines.
These medicines were manufactured under the leading Brands of the Key Companies, such as Ipca Laboratories, USV Pvt. Ltd. Cipla, Cadila, Macleods Pharmaceuticals, Signova Pharma among others.
It was further reported that during investigation, it was found that the spurious drugs were manufactured at Baddi Barotiwala area. These were being smuggled to Uttar Pradesh and were also sold at several places, including a Pharmacy at Agra, owned by one of the accused persons.
DCA has registered a case under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1970 against the aforesaid persons.
The drug controller had raided the premises of the top brand companies and seized spurious drugs worth Rs one crore from the store in Baddi on November 23, 2022. 
Earlier in September this year, Drug controller had also seized fake drugs worth Rs one Crore from the units based in Baddi that has clearly demonstrated that the spurious drug trade continue to flourish in the pharma hub of Himachal Pradesh, threatening life and health of the consumers.
The residents have also expressed concern as to how the big brands are playing with life and health of people who would consume such fake drugs.
Therefore illegal business of spurious drugs trade is flourishing day-by-day in Baddi-Barotiwala area in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh.
Curbing such activities has become a challenge and measures are required to curb the trend as spurious drugs affect health of the citizens/common man.
