Title - Eastern Rlys seeks ban on sedatives

With the increase in incidents where passengers have been sedated and looted , Eastern Railway authorities have recently sent a letter to the state drug control department to ban and restrict the sale of such sedative drugs. Eastern Railway authorities instructed officials of the state drug control department to restrict /ban the sale of sedative drugs which are being used by criminals for drugging passengers in railways. The letter mentions that almost in all incidents the passengers became unconscious after they were administered such sedatives and were looted thereafter. Questioning of some of the victims has revealed the modus operandi of the criminals, which is to develop friendship with the passengers , and in course of time they offer beverage and eatables laced with sedatives. Since these drugs are easily available across chemist stores without any prescription from registered doctors, and at very cheap rates, most of the criminals take such drugs from chemist shops and use them for this purpose. The Eastern Railway authorities have been asked to make a survey on how many chemist stores are selling these drugs in the state. Senior officials of the state health department said they had intimated the matter to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, Delhi, for banning the use of such sedatives.