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6. On a s im ila r is s ue , t h e I T A T M u mb a i Be nc h i n t he c as e of D C I T - 8(2 ), M um ba i V s P H L P ha rm a ( P. ) Lt d . ( s up ra ) h eld as und er :
"F rom t h e p e rus a l of t h e Bo a rd Circ ula r N o. 5 of 201 2 d a t ed 1 -8 - 20 12 , it c a n b e s ee n t ha t he av y r eli anc e ha s b e en pl a c ed b y t he CBD T on t he Circ ula rs is s ued by t he M e dic a l Cou nc il of I nd ia, w hic h is th e re gula t ory b od y c onst it ut ed und e r t he M ed ic a l Cou nc il Ac t , 1 95 6 ' . On e s uc h r eg ula t io n h as b ee n is s ued is ' I nd ia n M ed ic a l Co unc i l (P rof es s i ona l Co nd u ct , Et iq uet t e a nd Et hic s ) R e gul a t ions, 2 0 02 ' . T he s aid re gul at ion d ea ls w i t h t he p r of es s io na l c ond uc t , et i q uett e a nd et hic s for re gis t er ed m ed ic a l p ra c t it io n ers o nly . Cha pt er 6 of t h e s a id re gul at ion /not if ic a t io n d ea ls w it h un et hic a l a c ts , w h er eb y a p hy s ic ia n or m ed ic a l p ra c t it ion ers s ha ll not a id or ab et o r c om m it a ny o f t he ac t s illus t ra t e d in c la us es 6 .1 t o 6 .7 o f t h e s a id reg ula tio n w hic h s ha ll b e c ons t ru ed as u net hic a l. Cla us e 6 .8 ha s b ee n add ed (by w a y of a m e nd m e nt da t e d 1 0 -12 -20 0 9 ) in t erms of not if ic a t io n pub lis h ed on 14 -1 2 -2 009 i n G az et t e of I nd ia la y ing d ow n t he c od e of c ond uc t f or d oc t o rs a nd pro f es s io na l as s oc iat ion of d oc t ors in t h eir re la t ions hip w it h p ha rm ac e ut ic a l a nd a ll ied h ea lt h s ec t o r ind us t r y. [P a ra 5 ] On a p la in rea d ing o f t he af or es a id not if ic a t io n, whic h has b e en hea v ily rel ied up o n b y t he d epa rt m ent , it is q u it e ap p ar ent t ha t t he c od e of c ond uct e ns hr ined t he re in is m ea nt to be fo llow e d a nd ad he red b y m e d ic a l p ra c t it ion ers /d oc t ors a lon e. I t illust ra t es t he va rio us k ind s of c o nd uc t or ac t iv it ies w h ic h a m ed ic a l p ra c t it ion er Page | 8 s ho uld av oid w h ile dea lin g w it h p ha rm ac e ut ic a l c om p a n ies a nd a ll ied hea lt h s ect or ind us t ry . It p rov id es g uid elin es to t he m e d ic a l pr ac t it io ne rs of t h eir et hic a l c od es a n d m o ra l c o nd uc t . N ow her e t he re gul at ion o r t he n ot if ic a t ion m ent io ns t ha t s uc h a re gul at ion or c o d e of c o nd uc t w ill c ov er p ha rm a c eu t ic a l c om p a nies o r h ea lt h c a re s ec t or in a ny m a nne r. T h e d ep a rt m e nt ha s not b r oug ht a ny t hing on rec o rd to s h ow t h at t he a fores a id re gu la t ion is s ued b y M ed ic a l Counc il o f In d ia is m e a nt f o r p ha rma c eut ic a l c om pa nies in a ny m a nn er. O n t he c ont ra ry , b ef or e us the lea rne d s en ior c o uns e l. Sh ri M is t ry b rou ght to ou r no t ic e t he j ud g me nt o f H o n'b l e D elh i H ig h Cou rt in t he c as e of Ma x H os p it a l v . M CI (W P C12 2 4 /20 1 2 . d a t ed 1 0 -1 -201 4 I. w he re in t he M ed ic a l Cou nc il o f I nd ia a d m itt ed t h at th e I nd ia n M ed ic al Co unc i l R eg ula t io n of 200 2 h as j u ris d ic t io n t o t ak e ac t ion o nly a ga ins t t he m ed ica l p rac t it i one rs a nd n ot t o he a lt h s ec t or ind us t ry . F ro m t he af o res a id d ec is io n, it is os t ens ib ly c lea r t ha t t he M ed ic a l Co unc il of In d ia has no j urisd ic tio n t o p as s a n ord er or r eg ula t io n a g a ins t a ny hos p it a l or a n y he a lt h ca re s ec t o r u nd e r its 200 2 r eg ula t io n. So o nc e th e I nd ia n M ed ic a l Cou nc il R e gul at ion do es not ha v e a n y j ur is d ic t ion no r has a ny a u t ho rit y un d e r law up on t he p ha r ma c eutic a l c om p a n y or an y a llied h ea lt h s ec t or ind us t r y t he n s uc h a reg ula t i on ca nn ot ha v e an y p r oh ib it or y ef f ec t on t he p ha r ma c eut ic a l c om p a n y lik e t he as s es se e . If M ed ic a l Cou nc il re gul at ion do es not ha v e a ny j ur is d ic t ion up on p ha rm a c eut ic a l c om pa nies a nd it is ina pp lic ab le up o n P ha rm a c om p a nies lik e a s s es s ee t he n, w he re is t he v iola t io n of an y of la w /re gu lat ion? U nd er w hic h p ro v is io n t h ere is a ny off enc e or v iola t i on in inc u rrin g of s uc h k ind o f e xp end it u re.
4. T he re as on fo r on ly a p a r t ia l a llow a nc e b y t he a ut hor it i es b e low wa s t ha t a n a m e nd m e nt 6 t o t he M ed ica l Counc il Ac t , 1 956 (n ow rep e a led ) t hroug h t h e I nd ia n M ed ic a l Cou nc il (P rofes s iona l Con d uct , Et iq u et t e a nd Et hic s ) R eg ula t io ns , 20 0 2 (he re ina f t e r, " 2 00 2 R eg ula t io ns " ) , p ub lis hed in t he O ffic ia l Ga z et t e on 1 4 .1 2 .2 00 9 , dis a llow ed m ed ic a l pra c t it ion ers f rom a c c ep t in g em o lum ents i n t he f orm of i nt e r a li a g ifts , t ra v e l fa c ilit ies , h os p it a lit y , c a s h or mo ne ta ry gr a nt s . Ac c ept a nc e of s uc h f re e b ies co uld res ult in a r a ng e of s anc t io ns a g a ins t th e m e d ic a l p rac t itio ne rs , f rom 'c ens u re' f or inc e nt iv es rec e iv ed up t o Rs . 5, 000 /-, to rem o va l f ro m t he I nd ia n M ed ic a l R eg ist er or St at e M ed ic a l R eg is te r f or p er iod s ra ng ing f rom th re e m ont hs t o on e y ea r. T h er ef or e, o nly t h e e x p ens es inc urr ed t il l 14 .1 2 .20 09 w er e eli g ib le fo r t h e b en ef it o f Sec t io n 37 ( 1 ), a nd not f or th e ent ir et y of t he As s es sm e nt Y ea r 2 0 1 0 -2 0 11 , as c la im ed b y Ap ex .

Page | 25 T h is m a y b e b r oug ht t o t h e not ic e o f a ll t he o ffic e rs of t he c ha rg e f or nec es s a ry a c t io n.

(e mp ha s is s up p lie d ) T he CBD T c irc u lar be ing c la rif ic at or y in na t ure , wa s in ef fec t f rom t he d at e of im p le m e nt at ion of R eg u lat ion 6 .8 of th e 20 02 R eg ula t i ons , i.e ., f ro m 14 .1 2 .2 00 9 .

20 . I n D y . CI T 8 (2 ) M um b a i v P H L P ha r ma P. L t d. , t he I T AT r eit er at ed Ma x H os p it a l 's (s up r a ) dec is ion t o c onc lud e t h at t he 2 002 R eg u lat ions w ere ina pp l ic ab l e t o p ha rm a c eut ic a l c om pa n ies , a nd t ha t in a bs e nc e of r eq uis it e j u ris d ic t ion , it c ould not b e s a id t ha t t he p ha rm a c eut ic a l c om p a nies h ad v iol at ed a ny la w or reg ula t i on. F u rt her, it held t ha t th er e w as no en ab ling p r ov is ion to a llo w t he CBD T to b r ing ph a rm a c e ut ic a l c om pa nies w it h in t he f old of t he 2 0 02 R e g ula t io ns , an d ev en if s uc h a n a c t w e re t o b e p erm itt ed , it c o uld be onl y b e do ne s o p ros p ec t iv e ly :

ta k e r w h o wa s a p ub lic se rv a n t, a nd not t he b ri b e-g iv er. R e lia nc e w a s pla c ed on t h is t o a c q uit t h e a pp ell a nt br ib e -g i v e r. R ej ec t ing s uc h a n int er pr et at ion , t h is Cour t he ld :
"14 5. M r. Ra o s u b m itt ed t ha t s inc e, b y reas o n of t h e pr ov is ions of Art ic le 1 0 5 (2 ) , t h e a lleg ed b rib e- ta k e rs ha d c o mm itt ed n o off enc e , th e a l leg ed b rib e -g iv e rs ha d a ls o c om m it t ed no o ffe nc e. Art ic le 10 5 (2 ) d oes not p r ov id e t ha t w ha t is ot he rw is e a n of f enc e is n ot a n off enc e w h en it is c om m itt ed b y a M em b e r o f P a r liam e nt a nd has a c on nec t ion w it h his s pe ec h or v ot e t he re in. W ha t is p r ov id ed t he reb y is t ha t a M e m b er o f Pa rlia m e nt s ha ll n ot b e a ns w erab le in a co urt of la w f or s om et hing th at ha s a n ex u s to his s p eec h or v ot e in Pa rlia m ent . I f a M e mb er of Pa rli a m ent has , by his sp eec h or v ot e in Pa rlia m ent , c om m i t t ed a n of fe nc e , h e e nj o ys , b y reas o n of Art ic le 10 5 (2 ) , im m unit y fro m p ros ec ut ion th ere for . T hos e who ha v e c onsp ired w it h t he M em b e r of Pa rli am ent in t he c om m is s ion of t h at off enc e ha v e no s u c h im m un it y . T he y c a n, t he re f ore , b e p ros ec ut ed f or it . * * * 14 7 . M r . R a o s ub m it t ed t h at t he a lleg ed b rib e-g iv e rs ha d bre ac h ed Pa rlia m ent 's p r iv il eg e a n d b e en g ui lt y of its c o nt em p t a nd it s ho uld be lef t t o P arl ia m en t t o d e a l w it h t h em . By t he s am e s et s o f ac t s t he a ll eg ed b r ib e - ta k e rs and t he a lle g ed b rib e- g iv ers c om m itt ed of fe nc es und er t he c r im ina l la w a nd b r ea ch es of Pa rlia m e nt 's p riv ile ges a nd it s c ont em p t. F rom p ro s ec ut io n f or t he f orm e r, t h e a lleg e d brib e- ta k e rs , Aj it Sin g h ex c lud ed , enj o y im m u nit y. T he a lle g ed b ri b e-g iv ers d o not . The c rim ina l p r os e cut io n a ga i ns t t he a lleg ed br ib e -g iv ers m ust , Page | 28 th er ef or e, g o a hea d. F or b rea c h of P ar liam en t' s p riv ile g es a n d it s c ont em p t, P a r lia m e nt m ay p roc e ed a g a ins t t he a lleg ed b rib e -t a k ers an d t h e a l leg ed b rib e -g iv e rs . * ** 15 0 . T o rep ea t w h at w e ha v e s a id ea rlie r, M r. R a o is rig ht , s ubj ect t o tw o ca v ea ts , in s a y ing t hat Pa rlia m ent h as t he p o w e r n ot on ly to pu nis h its M em b e rs fo r a n of f enc e co m m it t e d by t hem b ut a ls o t o pu nis h ot he rs w h o ha d c onsp ire d w it h t he m to ha v e t he of fe nc e c om m itt ed : f irs t , t he ac t ions t ha t c on s tit ut e t he o ff e nc e m us t a ls o c onst it ut e a b rea c h of P a rl ia m en t's p riv ile g e or it s c ont e mp t ; s ec o nd ly , t h e a c t io n t ha t P a r liam e nt w ill t a k e a nd t h e p unis hm ent it w il l im p os e is for t h e b r ea c h of p riv il eg e o r c ont em p t . T he re is no reas o n t o d o ubt t ha t t h e Lo k Sab ha c an t a k e ac t ion f or br ea c h of pr iv il eg e or c o nt em pt a ga ins t t he a lleg ed b ri b e-g iv ers a nd a ga ins t t he a ll eg ed b r ib e -t a k e rs , w he t h er or n ot t hey w ere M em b e rs of Pa rlia m ent , b ut t ha t is n ot to say t ha t t he c o urt s c a nnot take c og niz a nc e of t he off enc e of t he a l leg e d b ri b e-g iv ers un d er t he c rim ina l la w .