JMFC Competent to Try Offences Punishable up to Three Years under Drugs and Cosmetics Act; Bar under Section 32 Not Absolute: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court

In a significant ruling interpreting the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh clarified that jurisdiction to try offences under the Act depends on the nature of punishment prescribed and not merely on the chapter under which the offence falls. The judgment was delivered by Justice Sanjay Dhar, who dismissed a petition seeking quashing of criminal proceedings related to a substandard drug. Background and…