FIR against Snapdeal CEO for online drug sale

The Food & Drugs Administration (FDA) of Maharashtra has ordered an FIR against Snapdeal CEO Kunal Bahl and other directors for selling prescription drugs online.

FDA Commissioner Harshadeep Kamble had ordered a probe into the issue – based on the search on Snapdeal premises. The FIR has been registered under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. The offences under which the FIR has been registered are of cognizable and non-bailable in nature. The FIR has been registered in Panvel police station in Raigad district.

“This is a first of its kind case…We have booked not only the CEO and directors of the company, but also dealers and distributors,” Kamble told Deccan Herald over phone. 

Kamble  said Jasper Infotech Pvt Ltd, which owns Snapdeal.com has entered into agreements with different dealers of medicines situated all over India to supply the medicines offered/exhibited for sale on the website and to collect the sale proceeds by Snapdeal on their behalf. 

It was also found that they have displayed and offered for sale about 45 drugs with the objectionable claims which contravene the provisions of Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. The godowns of the company were searched on April 16 and 20 and the probe was widened.

The Maharashtra FDA has requested the Drug Controller General of India to issue further directions. The FDA here is also in touch with its counterparts in other states. As per the law, only a licensed retailer can sell drugs, and that too on the basis of a doctor’s prescription, Kamble said. 

Such online sale of drugs is not allowed as self-medication can be harmful, he added.  

It may be recalled the action was started after a tip-off that prescription drugs like Ascoril cough syrup, Vigora tablets, and other medicines were being sold online.

Kamble said the probe also revealed that the drugs contained sildenafil citrate tablets, which are to be sold on the prescription of urologist, psychiatrist, endocrinologist and dermatologist.