Chennai, 5 July (IANS). The Madras High Court, while giving an important verdict, has said that it is mandatory to get an import license from abroad to get Ayurvedic medicines or products in India.
The court pronounced the decision during the hearing of a case in which an Ayurvedic medicine being imported from Singapore was stopped by the Customs Department.
The case is related to an Ayurvedic oil ‘Kodalai Thailam’ manufactured by ‘Lang Kai Fuke Medical Company’ (Singapore). This oil was imported and selling this oil in India, ‘Axtern Marketing India Private Limited’, which is located in Mandaveli, Chennai.
Recently, the State Authority at Arumbakkam sent a notice to the ‘Accent’ company, stating that they should have a valid license to import the Kododi Thalum. Subsequently, custom officials seized the consignment of this drug from Singapore.
In protest against this action, the ‘Accent’ company filed a petition in the Madras High Court and demanded that the consignment of their seized drugs should be released.
During the hearing of the case, Justice Senthilkumar Ramamurthy clarified that ‘Kodalai Thailam’ comes under a custom tariff category and is an Ayurvedic medicine, which is under inspection.
He also said that Ayurvedic products also apply to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, and hence it is mandatory to have a license for import of all types of medicines.
The court also admitted that the current process and rules related to the license of Ayurvedic medicines have become outdated, and these rules need to be modified according to new time. However, the court also ordered that the consignment of the petitioner which has been stopped currently, should be inspected and released as per the rules.
-IANS
VKU/Ekde
