# SC calls cancer drug overpricing ‘broad daylight dacoity’ 2026-09-22T14:47:03+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets The Supreme Court on Tuesday described the steep markup on essential cancer medicines as 'broad daylight dacoity' after it was told that a drug with a price to retailer of Rs 2,700 had a maximum retail price (MRP) of Rs 27,000. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said the tenfold gap amounted to extortion and questioned why drug price regulators had remained silent. The court was hearing petitions seeking tighter price controls and enforcement of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. Petitioner Kishan Chand Jain told the court that around 82% of medicines are non-scheduled under the DPCO, meaning their initial price is not regulated. Manufacturers can fix any MRP, with only a cap on subsequent increases of 10%. Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj said the government was not treating the matter as adversarial. The court has listed the matter for further hearing on September 29. ## Indian Opinion Analysis All three sources report the same courtroom remarks and the Rs 27,000 vs Rs 2,700 example. Livemint is the only one to detail the petitioner's argument that 82% of medicines are outside price control, giving the fullest legal context. Times of India and Times Now focus on the bench's dramatic language and the September 29 hearing date, with less on the regulatory gap. The common ground is the court's outrage and the government's non-adversarial posture. The September hearing will test whether that posture translates into a timeline for fixing the pricing framework. The court has listed the matter for further hearing on September 29. ## Coverage - livelaw.in (neutral report) Detailed, legally-focused reporting of arguments with no editorial slant - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Straight report of court remarks and adjournment, using PTI copy - timesnownews.com (neutral report) PTI-sourced brief report of court's comments and petition details Tags: DPCO, NPPA, Sandeep Mehta, Supreme Court, Vikram Nath Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/sc-slams-10x-cancer-drug-price-gap-as-extortion-adjourns-to-sep-29/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/sc-slams-10x-cancer-drug-price-gap-as-extortion-adjourns-to-sep-29/#story-in-brief