Supreme Court Seeks Snapdeal's Reply on Prescription Drug Sale Liability

The apex court has sought responses from Snapdeal and its directors on Karnataka's plea challenging a High Court order that quashed criminal proceedings over a third-party seller's prescription drug sale. The case tests intermediary safe-harbour under Section 79 of the IT Act against sector-specific drug laws.

— Source publishedSat, 18 Jul, 2026, 13:23 IST·First seen Sat, 18 Jul, 2026, 14:16 IST·Source Inc42

What happened

Supreme Court sought Snapdeal and its directors' reply on Karnataka's plea challenging a High Court order that quashed criminal proceedings over prescription

Key facts

  • Section 79 IT Act
  • Suhagra-100
  • 2019
  • February 2022
  • July 15
  • August 10

Why this matters

Track this case as a precedent-setting test of intermediary liability that could reshape marketplace M&A diligence, indemnity structures, and director-liability provisions in ecommerce deals.

What to watch

  • Snapdeal and directors' reply filing content
  • SC framing of questions on Section 79 vs special-statute conflict
  • Any interim order affecting criminal proceedings
  • Parallel MeitY/health ministry moves on online pharmacy rules
  • Similar petitions against Amazon/Flipkart citing this case
  • Ecommerce platforms audit and restrict prescription-drug and regulated-goods listings pending clarity
  • Legal teams file interventions/amicus to protect broad Section 79 interpretation
  • Marketplaces accelerate seller-KYC, licensing verification and takedown SLAs
  • Industry bodies (IAMAI) coordinate advocacy on intermediary liability limits

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