Kanpur Court Rejects Bail for Medical Store Owner in Drug Case
In a significant ruling, an additional district and session judge in Kanpur, Azad Singh, dismissed the second bail application of Sumit Kesarwani on Thursday. Kesarwani, the operator of Balaji Medical store, faces charges for allegedly selling codeine syrup and other drugs illegally, as per police reports.
Details of the Raid and Investigation
The court order referenced a raid conducted on October 12, 2025, by a team including drug inspector Om Pal Singh, Jyotsana Anand, and an assistant commissioner (drug). During the inspection, authorities discovered that codeine syrup and Calmapic, containing 0.5 mg of alprazolam, were being sold and stored without proper authorization. The presiding judge noted that the investigation is ongoing and, without commenting on the merits of the case, dismissed the bail application to allow the probe to proceed unimpeded.
Kesarwani has been charged under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, which governs the control and regulation of such substances in India.
Arguments from the Defense and Prosecution
During the hearing, the counsel for the accused argued that this was Kesarwani's second bail attempt, with the first application being withdrawn due to incomplete preparation. The defense claimed that Kesarwani was falsely implicated as a result of business competition and alleged that a drug inspector had demanded a bribe of Rs 10 lakh, which he refused to pay, leading to the charges.
In response, the prosecution, led by district government counsel Dilip Awasthi and additional district government counsel Vinod Tripathi, presented evidence that besides cough syrup, alprazolam tablets were also found in the shop. They emphasized that there were no records of sale or purchase for either drug, strengthening the case against the accused.
The court's decision underscores the seriousness with which illegal drug sales are being addressed in Kanpur, highlighting the ongoing efforts to enforce NDPS Act regulations and combat unauthorized pharmaceutical distribution.
