Online medicine sale: Case Ordered Against Snapdeal CEO

www.mangaloretoday.com

Mumbai, May 1, 2015: The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today filed a FIR against Snapdeal co-founder and CEO Kunal Bahl and the company’s directors in the Panvel police station in Raigad district in connection with the sale of prescription drugs online.

FDA commissioner Harshadeep Kamble told reporters in Mumbai that filing of an FIR has been ordered against Bahl as well as directors of Snapdeal.

The company spokesperson told ANI that Snapdeal was cooperating with the FDA team in the probe. "We are assisting FDA team in this investigation, we will continue to do so," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also added that the company had delisted the products and the said sellers and also had stopped payments. "Upon being notified of any such products, we delist the products and take appropriate action against such seller," the spokesperson told ANI.

Last month, FDA had raided the company’s premises here in this regard. At that time, Snapdeal had said it was delisting the drugs from its portal and was assisting the regulator in the investigation.

FDA had earlier issued a notice to the company and it was asked to furnish details of the drugs offered for sale, distribution and exhibited for sale on its website Snapdeal.com.

The raid followed FDA receiving information that various medicines, including prescription drugs, were being sold online through Snapdeal.com.

As per the law, only a licensed retailer can sell drugs, and that too on the basis of prescription of a doctor, Kamble said, adding such type of online sale of drugs is not allowed as self medication can be harmful.