A petition was filed on Wednesday before a court here accusing Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan of failing to put a check on "black
marketing" of face masks and hand sanitizers, the demand for which has spiked in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Social activist Tamanna Hashmi filed the petition before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Mukesh Kumar where it has been posted for hearing on March 30.
In his petition, Hashmi has cited news channel reports of face masks and hand sanitizers being in short supply and those with the stocks selling the same at "10 times the selling price".
"Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has clearly failed to check black marketing of these items and appears to be abetting the same," the petitioner has alleged.
The petitioner has also sought directions from the court, to the police, to lodge an FIR against the minister under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation).
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