Chargesheet filed against Sanatan unit over drugs

Mumbai: The state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has submitted its chargesheet against right-wing group Sanatan Sanstha’s Panvel unit and one of its Goa unit’s members, in a Raigad court for alleged irregularities related to the police’s seizure of restricted drugs — sleeping pills and anti-depressants — from the area of Panvel in September.

This sanstha member is a registered medical practitioner. “The FDA chargesheet was submitted to the court under provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and rules there under,” said an FDA source.

An FDA team had accompanied the police, SIT officers, during the raid they conducted at the ashram on September 5.

“The FDA investigation into the police’s seizure of the schedule H drugs from the group’s dispensary found two irregularities. The drugs were purchased from a Mumbai-based pharmaceutical firm by the member, but were found from its Panvel unit and no explanation was given about the same,” said the FDA source.

“No details were submitted on the drugs’ distribution and usage as per the rules,” the source said.

As per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and rule there under, registered medical practitioners, dispensaries and hospitals do not require any licence to purchase such drugs, according to the FDA source.

“However, they are required to keep the purchase details and usage details of the drugs as stipulated under schedule K. If the purchaser fails to comply with the requisite provisions of schedule K, they are liable for action under the Drugs and Cosmetics act,” said the source.

 Maharashtra police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing the February 2015 Govind Pansare case, had seized the drugs that were subsequently sent for a chemical analyser’s tests at an Alibaug facility to authenticate its composition and determine the purposes for which they could have been stored and used.

The state FDA conducted its own probe under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

The group has been under the scanner of the SIT’s probe, though the former has denied any link or association with it.

When contacted by The Asian Age, Sanatan Sanstha’s spokesperson Abhay Vartak denied all allegations levelled against the group.

In his comments, Mr Vartak said, “FDA’s action is an act of injustice against Sanatan Sanstha, it has been done to defame it. FDA’s action is based on wrong allegations. When we get a copy of the FDA’s chargesheet, we will take legal steps.”