Death for fake drugs gets Cabinet’s nod

Manufacture and sale of spurious drugs will soon be a non-bailable and cognizable offence attracting stringent punishment including death pe...

Manufacture and sale of spurious drugs will soon be a non-bailable and cognizable offence attracting stringent punishment including death penalty. The Cabinet today approved an amendment in the Drugs & Cosmetics Act of 1940.

A bill for the amendment would be introduced in the current session of Parliament to include capital punishment and provide for setting up special courts for speedy disposal of cases, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said after the meeting.

Asserting that there should be no leniency in dealing with such offenders, Swaraj said manufacture and sale of fake drugs were ‘‘mass murders purely for earning profit and is also a crime against ailing humanity’’.

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The amendment, introduced on the recommendations of Mashelkar Committee, provides for compounding certain offences to prevent the manufacture and trade of spurious drugs, Swaraj added.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet also approved a minimum pension of Rs 3,000 for all members of Parliament, including ex-MPs irrespective of their tenure through an amendment in the Salary, Allowances and Pension of MPs Act of 1954.

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