Plea in HC to de-link Aarogya Setu app from website promoting e-pharmacies

A plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking direction to the Centre to de-link from Aarogya Setu mobile app a website which is promoting sale of medicines through e-pharmacies.

The plea, which is likely to come up for hearing on Thursday, said website http://www.aarogyasetumitr.in is linked to the official mobile application Aarogya Setu in a highly illegal, arbitrary and discriminatory manner as the website promotes and acts as a marketing tool for e-pharmacies only.

The plea, filed by South Chemists and Distributors Association, said there is absolutely no basis for a government owned platform being used for promoting private commercial ventures.

The petition, filed through advocates Amit Gupta and Mansi Kukreja, sought direction to the Ministry of Electronics and IT, National Informatics Centre and Niti Aayog to take steps so that the name 'aarogya setu' or any identical/ deceptively similar name is not misused to sponsor commercial interests of arbitrarily hand picked entities.

The Aarogya Setu application makes use of bluetooth and GPS to alert users who may have encountered people who later test positive for the coronavirus.

The plea further sought steps for immediate closure of the website.

It said the authorities have allowed government developed mobile application 'Aarogya setu', which has been launched with a salient feature of limiting the spread of COVID-19, to be used for the benefit of selected handpicked companies