No interim relief to Aarav Pharma in anti-venom case

Panaji: The Bombay high court declined interim relief to Aarav Pharma in the spurious snake anti-venom case. The court issued a notice to the state after the pharma company, through its proprietor, Upendra Kumar Singh, went to the HC challenging the show-cause notice issued to him by the FDA.

The HC directed him to reply to the show-cause notice and said it would consider his plea for interim relief to stay the show-cause notice after considering the replies filed by the state. It directed the state to consider his reply but stated that no final order should be passed by the state until the next hearing.


Singh submitted to the HC that the show-cause notice was premature and without jurisdiction. Govt told the court that Singh did not respond to the show-cause notice and that the state did not take a decision against him; hence, his writ petition was premature.

The lower court is also hearing an anticipatory bail application filed by Singh in the case. The FDA issued the pharma company a show-cause notice in connection with supplying spurious snake anti-venom vials to the directorate of health services. The notice asked the company to show cause why its licence should not be cancelled and action should not be taken in the case.