New Delhi: Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has worries aplenty ahead of Saturday’s second and final Test match against South Africa in Guwahati, after having been humiliated in the series opener at Eden Gardens.
Beyond the cricket battles, however, Gambhir had reasons to feel relieved.
The Delhi High Court on Friday quashed a case against the former India opener and his foundation over alleged unauthorised stocking and distribution of Fabiflu during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
“Complaint case quashed,” a bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said while pronouncing the verdict. A detailed copy of the order is awaited.
It was in July 2021 that the Drugs Control department registered a complaint against Gambhir, his mother Seema and wife Natasha, the Gautam Gambhir Foundation and its CEO Aprajita Singh for offences under Section 18(c) read with Section 27(b)(ii) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The action followed a direction by a division bench of the high court to conduct inquiries against individuals stocking and distributing medicines as it was a violation of the Act.
While Section 18(c) prohibits manufacture, sale and distribution of drugs sans licence, Section 27(b)(ii) makes sale and distribution without a valid licence punishable with imprisonment for at least three years, which may be extended to five years, and with a fine.
After the trial court summoned Gambhir to appear before it on July 26, Gambhir approached the high court, seeking quashing of the summons and the case.
Gambhir argued in his petition that the complaint against him could not be justified as he had distributed medicines free of cost to those in need and did not sell those to make a profit. He added that his family members had been named in the complaint for no reason.
The high court had stayed trial court proceedings in September 2021, but the stay was vacated on April 9 this year.
The Delhi Drugs Control department had opposed Gambhir’s petition, stating that a trial is “imperative to determine the veracity of the allegations”.
