Police to immediately seize life saving drugs like Remdesivir, oxygen cylinders, etc.

In a recent judgment the High Court of Allahabad held that police were to immediately dispose of the case properties like life saving drugs namely Remdesivir, Oxygen cylinders and oximeters and such other related articles within a week. In the future, the police would be required to produce such drugs before the Magistrate within 24 hours and dispose it within 3 days thereafter.

Relevant extracts of the said Judgment have been reproduced below-

“Accordingly, we hereby direct to all the concerned Magistrates in the entire State of Uttar Pradesh to immediately dispose of the case properties like life saving drugs namely Remdesivir, Oxygen cylinders and oximeters and such other related articles within a week of the case being instituted before them. We also direct the Director General of Police to immediately issue advisory to all the Senior Superintendents/ Superintendents of Police in the State to direct the concerned police officers who have seized or would seize in future such articles from illegal possessions, to immediately within 24 hours of such seizure, approach concerned Magistrates for the disposal of such property and in the event they approach the concerned Magistrate, he shall dispose of the case properties exercising power under Section 457 Cr.P.C. within three days thereafter in view of the current pandemic caused by Covid-19.”