Ahmedabad, Aug 27 (IANS) The Ahmedabad City Crime Branch on Thursday arrested three people from Ahmedabad and Lucknow for allegedly procuring, distributing and selling counterfeit blood-pressure medicine through an interstate network, with the investigation tracing the supply chain from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to medical outlets in Gujarat.
The arrests followed a complaint by J.B. Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd to the Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) on August 19 over the alleged circulation of counterfeit NICARDIA RETARD 10 (Nifedipine Sustained Release Tablets IP 10mg), bearing batch number ACG25007, manufactured in June 2025 and expiring in May 2028.
The company subsequently complained to the Ahmedabad Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut, following which Crime Branch and FDCA teams began a joint investigation.
Investigators found that the suspected counterfeit stock had reached Ahmedabad through Parshva Medical Agency in the Paldi area, which had allegedly received it from Sena Medical in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
The probe also established a link to A.V.R. Medicos in Jaipur in connection with stock found in Kutch. During the investigation, officials seized 30 strips of the specified NICARDIA RETARD 10 batch from Kishan Medical Store in Nadiad.
The team also recovered the medicine from Navkar Medical Agency and Mahadev Medical Agency in Bhuj.
Earlier FDCA action had involved inspections at more than 30 medical stores and agencies and the seizure of suspected counterfeit NICARDIA RETARD 10 tablets.
According to the Crime Branch, the accused allegedly used the name, labels and batch details of the genuine product to manufacture tablets that could be difficult to distinguish from the original.
The complaint alleged that those involved knew that such medicines could cause serious harm or death but supplied them for financial gain.
Police arrested three people on August 26 at around 9:45 p.m.: Darshil Sanghavi, 39, of Paldi, Ahmedabad; Devendra Yadav, 39, of Lucknow; and Umang Rastogi, 34, also of Lucknow.
Police allege that Sanghavi procured counterfeit stock and supplied it to sub-distributors in Ahmedabad and other cities.
Devendra allegedly purchased counterfeit medicines at discounted prices. He arranged their supply to Gujarat, while Umang allegedly procured medicines from sellers and earned commissions by facilitating their supply and sale in Gujarat.
Police said Devendra and Umang had previously been arrested in June in a duplicate-medicine case registered at Vishramnagar Police Station in Pune.
Umang also has a September 2022 case under the GST Act. According to the Crime Branch, Sanghavi has no reported criminal history.
An FIR was registered at DCB Police Station under Sections 276, 277, 316(4), 336(2), 336(3), 338, 339, 340(2), 341(1), 111, 49 and 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Police teams have been sent to Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and other districts to trace other people allegedly involved in manufacturing and distributing the counterfeit medicines. The investigation is continuing.
The Crime Branch has appealed to medical stores, agencies, hospitals and patients who may have received the suspected counterfeit medicine from the arrested accused or their network to contact the investigating officer.
–IANS
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