Prayagraj : In cases involving the illegal storage, transportation and sale of codeine-based cough syrup, the Allahabad HC has rejected the bail pleas of 19 alleged masterminds while granting bail to truck drivers, helpers and small retail sellers who were merely transporting sealed parcels and were unaware that cough syrup had been concealed inside the cartons.
Court Ruling Clarifies Legal Status of Codeine Syrup
Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal recently ruled on 80 bail applications concerning the use of codeine-based cough syrup. The court determined that such syrup does not fall under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act when used strictly for legitimate medical purposes. However, the ruling emphasized that any diversion, stocking, or sale of the syrup for intoxication—regardless of licensing—constitutes an offense under the NDPS Act.
The court specified that a drug dealer or licensed seller may legally transport or sell codeine syrup containing 0.2 percent or less of codeine (or less than 100 mg per dosage unit) for therapeutic use without it being classified as a narcotic drug.
In this ruling, the court denied bail to several accused individuals, including Bhola Prasad of Shaili Traders, Divesh Jaiswal of DSA Pharma, Ankush Singh of Mahakal Medical, Abhinav Kumar Yadav, Badal Arya, and Harsh Agrawal.