LawpatraLawpatra.ai

Lawpatra is an AI-powered legal education platform designed to help aspirants crack premier law entrance and judiciary examinations. With adaptive mock tests, precision analytics, and 24/7 personalized AI tutoring, we provide a comprehensive ecosystem for your entire legal career journey.

Test series on the goGoogle Play

Explore

  • Prepare for our exams
  • Bare Acts
  • Blog
  • Download resources

Company

  • About
  • Careers
  • Contact us

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Account deletion

Product

  • AI Tutor
  • Features
  • How it works

Law Entrances

  • CLAT
  • CLAT PG
  • AILET
  • SLAT
  • MH CET Law

Judiciary

  • MPSC Civil Judge
  • Chhattisgarh Judiciary
  • OPSC Civil Judge
  • Gujarat Judiciary
  • Delhi Judicial Services
  • UP PCS-J
  • Rajasthan Judiciary Service

APO/ADPO

  • Bihar APO
  • Delhi APP
  • Haryana ADA
  • Madhya Pradesh ADPO
  • Rajasthan APO
  • Uttar Pradesh APO
  • Uttarakhand APO

Bare Acts

  • BNS
  • BNSS
  • BSA
  • IPC
  • CrPC
  • IEA
  • HMA
  • IDA
  • MVA

© 2026 Blingwork Technologies Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved.

Offices: Hyderabad & Jodhpur

LawpatraLawpatra
BNS, 2023
Start Practicing
BNSChapter XVSection 278
Section278

Sale of drug as a different drug or preparation

AI Assist

Summary

Knowingly selling, offering, exposing for sale, or issuing from a dispensary any drug or medical preparation while representing it as a different drug or preparation is an offence. It applies when a medicine is deliberately mislabelled or substituted for medicinal use. Punishment: imprisonment up to six months, or fine up to Rs 5,000, or both.

Example

Priya runs a small dispensary. She knowingly issues a cheap painkiller labelled and sold as a branded antibiotic to patients. Under this rule she can face imprisonment for up to six months, or a fine up to Rs 5,000, or both.

Bare Act

Enacted text

Whoever knowingly sells, or offers or exposes for sale, or issues from a dispensary for medicinal purposes, any drug or medical preparation, as a different drug or medical preparation, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both.

BNSS Classification

  • Imprisonment for 6 months, or fine of 5,000 rupees, or both.
  • Non-cognizable
  • Bailable
  • Triable by Any Magistrate.
Keep going
Newsletter

Join the top 1% of law aspirants

Get weekly high-yield legal updates, landmark judgment breakdowns, and smart prep strategies sent straight to your inbox.

We never share your email.

Previous year papers

Pick your exam. we'll email the most recent paper.

Download previous year papers

For

We'll never share your email. Promise.

XV

Chapter XV

Of Offences Affecting The Public Health, Safety, Convenience, Decency And Morals

In this chapter

  • 270Public nuisance
  • 271Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life
  • 272Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life
  • 273Disobedience to quarantine rule
  • 274Adulteration of food or drink intended for sale
  • 275Sale of noxious food or drink
  • 276Adulteration of drugs
  • 277Sale of adulterated drugs
  • 278Sale of drug as a different drug or preparation
  • 279Fouling water of public spring or reservoir
  • 280Making atmosphere noxious to health
  • 281Rash driving or riding on a public way
  • 282Rash navigation of vessel
  • 283Exhibition of false light, mark or buoy
  • 284Conveying person by water for hire in unsafe or overloaded vessel
  • 285Danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation
  • 286Negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substance
  • 287Negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter
  • 288Negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance
  • 289Negligent conduct with respect to machinery
  • 290Negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings etc
  • 291Negligent conduct with respect to animal
  • 292Punishment for public nuisance in cases not otherwise provided for
  • 293Continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue
  • 294Sale, etc., of obscene books, etc
  • 295Sale, etc., of obscene objects to child
  • 296Obscene acts and songs
  • 297Keeping lottery office
Previous · Section 277Sale of adulterated drugsNext · Section 279Fouling water of public spring or reservoir