Online medicines sale: FDA orders FIR against Snapdeal CEO

May,1,2015: Maharashtra’s Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Friday said it has ordered filing of FIR against e-commerce major Snapdeal.com’s CEO Kunal Bahl and directors of the company in a case related to alleged online sale of medicines, including prescription drugs.FDA Commissioner Harshadeep Kamble told reporters here that filing of an FIR has been ordered against Mr. Bahl as well as directors of Snapdeal.

When contacted, the company spokesperson did not offer any immediate comment.

Last month, FDA had raided the company’s premises here in this regard. At that time, Snapdeal had said it was delisting the drugs from its portal and was assisting the regulator in the investigation.

FDA had earlier issued a notice to the company and it was asked to furnish details of the drugs offered for sale, distribution and exhibited for sale on its website Snapdeal.com.

The raid followed FDA receiving information that various medicines, including prescription drugs, were being sold online through Snapdeal.com.

As per the law, only a licensed retailer can sell drugs, and that too on the basis of prescription of a doctor, Mr. Kamble said, adding such type of online sale of drugs is not allowed as self medication can be harmful.