Image is for representational purposes only | Photo credit: PTI
“Do you realize what a hole this has made in the image of the country?” The Supreme Court on Thursday (Feb 19, 2026) questioned a pharmaceutical firm whose cough syrups allegedly caused the deaths of more than 18 children in Uzbekistan.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi refused to quash the order summoning the firm and some of its officials on complaints of various violations, including manufacturing and sale of drugs said to be of “substandard quality”.
“Just for money, are you indulging in this? The nation’s image is tarnished because of this,” Bench said. A lawyer for the company and its officials said there was nothing on record to show that consumption of the syrup caused any deaths.
“Do you realize what a hole this has made in the image of the country?” Lavička asked. The Supreme Court declined to interfere with the verdict of the Allahabad High Court which dismissed the pleas filed by the firm and some of its officials challenging the January 2024 summons order issued by Chief Justice Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Also read | An Uzbek court has sentenced an Indian man and 22 others to death by contaminated cough syrup
The Chief Judicial Magistrate passed the order in a complaint filed under the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 in Noida. The Supreme Court was hearing an appeal filed against the High Court’s order.
The drug inspector filed a complaint for various violations, including the manufacture and sale of drugs declared to be of “substandard quality” and further invoked sections related to adulterated and spurious drugs, procedural default and liability of company officials.
In its order, the High Court said the case was based primarily on a test analysis report that claimed certain samples were “not of standard quality”, leading to prosecution under the relevant penal sections of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940.
During arguments in the case before the Supreme Court, counsel for the Center claimed that syrup produced by the firm was found to be poisonous in Uzbekistan, resulting in the deaths of more than 18 children.
While dismissing the pleas challenging the summons, the High Court held that there was no illegality or malpractice in the summons order issued by the Magistrate.
Published – 20 Feb 2026 06:26 IST