The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta denounced the stark price disparity of a cancer medicine, labeling it a "broad daylight dacoity" that forces patients to sell homes for treatment.
The drug’s maximum retail price sits at ₹27,000, ten times the price retailers pay, which stands at ₹2,700.
"If this is not extortion, then what is it? People sell their houses and ornaments for treatment," the bench said, underscoring the moral outrage at the price gap.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj argued that the government had not treated the matter as an adversarial litigation, prompting the bench to question why regulatory authorities remained silent on the issue.
The court has set a follow‑up hearing for September 29, where it may issue directives to tighten price‑control mechanisms and curb profiteering by both manufacturers and retailers.