Make milk adulteration punishable with life imprisonment: SC

The Supreme Court Thursday urged the state governments to make necessary amendments to their laws to make production and marketing of adulterated milk, which is injurious to human consumption, an offence punishable with life imprisonment.

The observation by an apex court bench of Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice A.K. Sikri came after taking note of Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha having made the sale of adulterated milk, contaminated with synthetic material, an offence punishable with life imprisonment.

Asking the states to make the law to deal with production and sale of milk which is harmful to human beings more stringent, the court observed that the maximum punishment of six months for such offences under the Food Safety and Standards Act was grossly inadequate.

The court was hearing a public suit which said samples collected by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in 2011 revealed large-scale sale of adulterated milk across the country.