Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Thursday, November 25, ordered registration of an FIR against officials of Amazon over the death by suicide of a youth who allegedly obtained poisonous sulphas tablets through the e-commerce site. The deceased's father met Mishra earlier in the day. Sulphas is used as an agricultural fumigant and is poisonous.
“I have taken cognizance of a youth ending his life by ordering sulphas online from Amazon and directed officials to register a case against the concerned officials and summon them for questioning,” Mishra told reporters in Indore. “If they don't turn up even after getting a notice, then they should be brought through policiya (‘police method’) for questioning,” the minister added.
Recently, Bhind district police in the state registered a First Information Report against unnamed Amazon India officials after busting a gang which allegedly supplied ganja under the guise of selling stevia (a natural sweetener) through the e-commerce portal. Amazon should clarify how someone can supply ganja and poison through an e-commerce platform. We have taken these incidents seriously and we will take strong legal action in the matter, Mishra said.
The state government will also frame a policy and send it to the Center so that illegal activities facilitated by online commercial sites can be curbed, he said. Ranjeet Verma, a local fruit seller whose 18-year-old son allegedly died by suicide in July by consuming sulphas powder ordered online, met the home minister here earlier in the day and urged him to register a case against Amazon.
Verma alleged that Amazon delivered sulphas to his son without verifying documents. Some persons were pressurising his son to return Rs 2 lakh that he had borrowed, according to Mishra. An e-mail sent to Amazon India for comment did not receive any reply.