On Thursday, the Supreme Court cancelled proceedings against a company accused of producing substandard drugs, stating that the trial court’s summoning order lacked any justification, even in name.

A bench comprising Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih remarked that the order was entirely a "non-speaking" one.

The verdict was delivered on an appeal filed by the firm and others challenging an October 2023 judgment by the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which had rejected their plea to quash the proceedings in a Kurnool trial court.

"However, we do not find it necessary to consider the submissions made by the appellants on various grounds inasmuch as the present appeal is liable to be allowed on the short ground that the magistrate has issued the process without assigning any reasons," the bench said, referring to the submissions of the firm's counsel.

It said, "In the present case also, no reasons even for the namesake have been assigned by the magistrate. The summoning order is totally a non-speaking one."

While setting aside the high court's order, the bench quashed the trial court's summoning order of July 2023 & the related proceedings.