Taking judicial cognisance of ‘The Hitavada’ news-report about black-marketing of Remdesivir by, and arrest of, 32 persons including a doctor, staffers of hospitals and a medical representative, Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Thursday directed their swift prosecution and proper investigation to ensure conviction of such undesirable and greedy persons. “In such a crisis situation, the Courts cannot be mute spectators and cannot turn Nelson’s eye to such incidents which are reported in the newspaper.

 

To send strong signals to people who may indulge in black-marketing of life-saving drug, it is necessary that the investigation and trial of people accused of black-marketing of life-saving drug should be taken to conclusion and one of the effective ways is to ensure that the trial is completed in swift manner,” directed a division bench consisting of Justice Z A Haq and Justice Amit Borkar, while treating ‘The Hitavada’ report as suo motu criminal application. The City Police chief Amitesh Kumar gave a very prompt response and promised to file chargesheets against all the accused before May 3 and also to instruct his machinery to follow up the trial.

 

The High Court, while referring to the news-report detailing black-marketers nabbed by City Police in last one week, stressed upon the need of some unprecedented measures to control the activities of such unscrupulous elements while patting back of Nagpur Police for its action. However, the time consumed for investigation of offences and disposal of the criminal trials are not dissuading such people from indulging in such activities, the High Court lamented while acknowledging the delay in completion of criminal trials. In such an unprecedented time of crisis, it is necessary to take certain unprecedented measures to deter such unscrupulous people from indulging in black-marketing of life-saving drugs, the High Court noted while asking Adv Shreerang Bhandarkar to assist the court as Amicus Curiae.

 

Since the lives of the needy patients are at stake, the relatives of such patients are ready to pay any amount to save their loved ones and seldom report such cases to police, the High Court noted. Therefore, the action taken by Nagpur Police is highly appreciable, the High Court stated while strongly backing measures to deter such unscrupulous persons from indulging in black-marketing of life-saving drugs like Remdesivir.