Medical store owner held

The City Shadow Police and the Narcotics Cell on Friday arrested Narayana Pillai, 58, owner of the Sree Baba Medical Store at Illipode near Poojapura, on charges of illegal sale of pain killers and psychotropic drugs to students. The police said 10 other medical stores in the city too were under surveillance. Pillai’s store was sealed and his licence cancelled after the Drugs Control Authority, called in by the police, found that he had an excess and unauthorised stock of such drugs. The drugs that Pillai was selling without prescription were those given to cancer patients and mentally ill persons. Strips priced Rs.30 were being sold by Pillai for Rs.300. Regular buyers, mostly students, fixed deals over phone, the police said.