The health department authorities in Yamunanagar and Gurugram districts of Haryana have lodged two first information reports (FIRs) against a Bihar-based illegal online distributor of medical abortion kits, a Schedule-H drug which can’t be sold unless prescribed by a registered gynaecologist, said officials.
The accused Ritesh Kumar, who operates from Kahalgaon of Bhagalpur in Bihar and is allegedly involved in the unauthorised sale of MTP (medical termination of pregnancy) kits across the country, was booked on Sunday under different sections of Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
The twin cases were registered after health officials received the MTP kits from the online platform (www.indiamarketto.com) which the accused operates.
The latest crack down on the illegal sale of MTP kits comes five days after two Uttar Pradesh-based online pharmacy owners were arrested after they supplied MTP kits to Gurugram where two FIRs were lodged on February 12 and the authorities had seized 227 MTP kits from Ghaziabad and Badaun in UP.
“The district nodal officers (MTP Act) in tandem with food and drugs administration (FDA) officials have been cracking down on the online suppliers of the MTP kits. Two FIRs were registered against a Bihar resident after our officials received the MTP kits from the accused via online deal,” Manmohan Taneja, State drug controller of Haryana told Hindustan Times.
According to the FIR lodged at Sector-17 Police Station of HUDA in Jagadhri of Yamunanagar, secret information led officials to an online platform (www.indiamarketto.com), which was reportedly selling abortion kits illegally.
These kits, containing “mifepristone and misoprostol” drugs that induce abortion were allegedly being sold without medical supervision or verification of authorised medical facilities.
“…said wrongdoer and online pharmacy owner is supplying MTP kits…without verifying the supervision of gynaecologist, duration of pregnancy and approval of place where it is supplied, contravening the provisions of MTP Act…all the MTP kits supplied by this online pharmacy till date or being supplied by this pharmacy have caused or will be causing illegal abortions which are all unlawful and needs to be investigated after apprehending the accused and (seizing) it’s records,” the FIR registered in Yamunanagar says.
The state drug controller said that investigators will have to trace the supply chain to determine how many such kits have been illegally sold. Urging the public to refrain from purchasing such MTP kits online, the state drug controller said that as per the law those received MTP kits can also be booked.
Yamunanagar district nodal officer (MTP Act) Dr Vipin Gondwal coordinated with drug control officer Bindu Dhiman and placed an order using a pseudonym, “Neha”.
The order, placed on February 11, was successfully processed, and a digital invoice was generated. The package, dispatched via courier, was tracked under courier ID and arrived on February 16.
The police seized five MTP kits, each sealed and packed, as evidence.
The case has been registered under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971, along with relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
A similar plan of action was followed in Gurugram, and an order was placed on the site (www.indiamarketto.com) on February 11.
The shipment was received at HUDA dispensary, opposite community center, Sector-45, Gurugram and the FIR was lodged.
