The Supreme Court bench said that it was high time that the Centre revisit the IPC as well as the Food Safety and Standards Act to make sure stringent penalties are provided under the law.
The Supreme Court Friday favoured life imprisonment for the offence of milk adulteration and urged the central government to amend the Indian Penal Code to make the punishment deterrent for offenders.
A bench of Chief Justice of India T S Thakur and Justice R Banumathi maintained that it was high time that the Centre revisit the IPC as well as the Food Safety and Standards Act to make sure stringent penalties are provided under the law.
It preferred the amendments made to Section 272 (adulteration of food and drinks) in the IPC by states such as Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and West Benagl, providing life term as the maximum punishment for adulteration.
The bench also recalled its order in December 2013 and again in December 2014 whereby the central government was nudged by it to bring suitable amendments in the IPC to provide for maximum punishment on par with states like UP, Odisha and West Bengal.
“Since in India traditionally infants/children are fed milk, adulteration of milk and its products is a concern and stringent measures need to be taken to combat it. The consumption of adulterated milk and adulterated milk products is hazardous to human health… it will be in order that the Union of India come up with suitable amendments in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Union of India shall also make penal provisions on par with the provisions contained in the State amendments,” said the court.
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