HC Bars Transfer Of Cops Probing Fake Drug Scam

PATNA, 5 JULY 2018: The Patna high court on Wednesday ordered the state government not to transfer without its permission any police officer of the special investigation team (SIT) investigating the cases related to sale of fake and expired drugs and medicines meant only for supply in government hospital. The SIT is headed by DIG (central range) Rajesh Kumar.

The division bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad also rapped petitioner Vikash Chandra alias Guddu Baba for seeking the court’s order against the transfer of five drug inspectors who had unearthed the scam of smuggling of government supply drugs into open market and sale of fake and expired drugs after relabelling them. Advocate general Lalit Kishore submitted that the officers were transferred on their promotion, as per law.

The court ordered the state government to reply within four weeks on the investigation in the case so far. On June 25, principal

secretary (health) was ordered to file a counter affidavit on how licences of tainted drug dealers were restored by the department.

Illegal sand mining: The division bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice Rajeev Ranjan Prasad, while hearing a PIL

filed by Kuldeep Prasad Yadav, ordered the state government to file a counter affidavit within four weeks on alleged illegal sand mining from Sakri riverbed near Quadriganj in Nawada district.

Petitioner’s counsel Mrityunjay Kumar alleged that heavy earthmovers were being used to dig sand at least 25 feet deep resulting in dry canals and affecting irrigation facilities badly as the river water level had gone down in the area. The petitioner had wrote several letters to the top officials and Nawada DM against the illegal mining, but no concrete action was taken yet.

Vending zone: The same division bench, while hearing another PIL filed by Zila Footpath Dukandar Sangh, ordered the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) to submit action taken report within two weeks regarding creation of vending zone in Patna.

The court also ordered PMC to reply on action taken for rehabilitation of roadside vendors.

CBI inquiry on TISS report: Two separate PILs were filed on Wednesday demanding CBI probe into the alleged sexual and physical abuse of minor girls at government children home in Muzaffarpur and other places, which was reported in the social audit report of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

The PILs would be heard on Friday. The Times Of India