E-Paper
High ethical standards expected of medical practioners, says Punjab & Haryana HC
Police have claimed that he was illegally operating a de-addiction centre and an unauthorised stock of 27,000 buprenorphine tablets was recovered from the centre during a raid.
The Punjab and Haryana high court has dismissed the bail plea of a Pinjore-based doctor, caught in May 2023 for allegedly running an illegal de-addiction centre and possessing drugs above permissible limits.
“...general public reposes immense trust in the medical profession, particularly when seeking treatment. The ethical standards expected from medical practitioners, especially those operating de-addiction centres, are exceedingly high, given that they deal with vulnerable patients who are susceptible to relapse. In this context, the allegation that a medical practitioner entrusted with care of such vulnerable individuals, has been involved in diverting narcotic substances and facilitating their illegal distribution in the community, is one that warrants serious consideration,” the bench of justice Manjari Nehru Kaul observed while dismissing the plea.
The petitioner, Vinit Yadav, was booked under various sections of Indian Penal Code and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, in Pinjore on May 4, 2023, and arrested. He got default bail in November 2023, which was subsequently cancelled in February 2024. His plea was that the investigation has since been completed, the chargesheet has been filed and thus he should be granted bail.
Police have claimed that he was illegally operating a de-addiction centre and an unauthorised stock of 27,000 buprenorphine tablets was recovered from the centre during a raid. The recovery of such a large amount triggered the stringent provisions of Section 37 of the NDPS Act, which imposed rigorous conditions for granting bail, the police had said.
The court noted that the allegations are “grave”, as he is accused of illicit distribution of narcotic substances under the guise of running a de-addiction centre, which itself was operating without any valid licence.
“This court cannot turn a blind eye to the potential social consequences of these allegations as they could contribute to perpetuating a cycle of drug dependency and addiction in a country already grappling with scourge of narcotics,” it said dismissing the plea.
