Drug major Ranbaxy, which has been in the eye of the storm for allegedly selling substandard medicines in the US and for unhealthy practices in Europe, got a breather from the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The apex court rejected a public interest litigation (PIL) calling for a probe against Ranbaxy Laboratories on the grounds that the evidence against the company in India was not substantial.
However, the petitioner M.L. Sharma, has been given permission to file a fresh petition in case he finds evidence against the company.
The bench comprising Justice A.K. Patnaik and Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the court cannot pass a judgment on the company on the basis of the verdict passed by a US court and asked for evidence proving malpractices by the company in India.
A Ranbaxy spokesperson expressed satisfaction with the judgment and said the company is “committed to patient safety and ethical business practices and we will continue to offer high quality drug products to all of our customers in India and worldwide”.