BNS Section 277
What is the punishment for selling adulterated drugs?
Short answer
Selling adulterated drugs can lead to up to six months imprisonment, a fine up to ₹5,000, or both.
In detail
If a person knows that a drug or medical preparation has been tampered with—making it less effective, changing how it works, or turning it harmful—and then sells it, offers it for sale, displays it for sale, issues it from a dispensary as if it were pure, or causes someone else to use it without their knowledge, the law treats this as a crime. The offender may be sentenced to imprisonment for a period that can extend to six months, may be ordered to pay a fine that can go up to five thousand rupees, or may face both penalties together. The key element is the knowledge of the adulteration at the time of the sale or distribution.
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People also ask
- What are the penalties for manufacturing adulterated drugs?
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Not legal advice. This is general legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and every case turns on its own facts — speak to a lawyer about your situation.