KARACHI, March 10: The drugs court on Thursday indicted three men in two cases on charges of sale of substandard and unauthorised medicine.Ramesh Babu, Parkash and Lekhraj, proprietors of medical stores, have been accused of keeping substandard and unauthorised drugs in their stores for sale in November 2009 in Khairpur.

The chairman of the drugs court, Sathi M. Ishaq, read out the charges against the accused in their presence. However, the accused pleaded not guilty and opted for trial.

The court summoned the prosecution witnesses with direction to record their statements on March 30.

According to the prosecution, a drugs inspector carried out two separate raids on as many medical stores in Khairpur district on November 2009 and in the first raid the official seized seven physician's samples which were stocked and put up for sale and accused Ramesh failed to produce any document allowing sale of these drugs.

The drugs inspector recovered five expired drugs from another medical store run by Parkash and his brother Lekhraj and also found 18 physician's samples displayed for sale and they did not show any bill warranty.

The accused were booked under Sections 23 (1)(a)(vi) (export, import or manufacture for sell of any drugs after its expiry), 23 (1)(a)(x) (sell of any drug in contravention of any of the provisions of this act or any rule) and 23 (1)(i) (sell of any spurious drug) of the Drugs Act 1976.

'Militants' remandedA judicial magistrate (west) on Thursday remanded four suspected militants in police custody till March 17 for allegedly attacking a police party and keeping illicit weapons.

The CID police claimed to have arrested Musharraf, Sher Zali, Ahmed Ali and Hameedullah in Metroville after an encounter with the police on March 9 and recovered illicit weapons from their possessions.

Explosive substances were also recovered on a lead given by the suspects, the police claimed.

The CID police alleged that the suspects were members of the proscribed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.

Meanwhile, a judicial magistrate (Malir) remanded the suspects in police custody till March 17 in the explosive substance case.

They were booked under Sections 324 (attempted murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, 13-D of the Arms Ordinance and Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substance Act.