J B Chemicals' BP Drug Nicardia Retard 10 Counterfeited, 3 Held in Interstate Racket

The case came to light after J B Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd approached the drug regulator on August 19, complaining about the circulation of counterfeit Nicardia Retard 10 (nifedipine sustained-release tablets). The suspected fake medicine carried the same batch number, manufacturing details and expiry information as the genuine product, making it difficult for patients and retailers to distinguish the counterfeit medicine from the original.

The pharmaceutical company subsequently approached the Ahmedabad police, following which Crime Branch and drug-control officials began tracing the supply chain. Investigators found that counterfeit strips had reached medical stores in various parts of Gujarat through distributors.

One supply route involved Parshva Medical Agency in Paldi, with investigators tracing the stock back to Sena Medical in Lucknow. Police also identified another route involving AVR Medicose in Jaipur, which had allegedly supplied counterfeit stock later recovered from Kutch.

Officials recovered 30 strips of the suspected counterfeit medicine from Kishan Medical Store in Nadiad. Additional quantities were recovered from Navkar Medical Agency and Mahadev Medical Agency in Bhuj.

According to the police, the alleged network used packaging and labelling designed to closely resemble the genuine medicine, including the product name and batch details. Investigators are examining how the counterfeit tablets were manufactured and whether they were produced at a single location or procured from multiple sources.

The three accused arrested in the case have been identified as Dashil Sanghvi, 39, of Ahmedabad; Devendra Yadav, 39, of Lucknow; and Umang Rastogi, 34, also of Lucknow. Police allege that Sanghvi procured and distributed the counterfeit stock in Gujarat, while Yadav and Rastogi allegedly sourced the medicines at discounted rates and arranged their supply to the state.

Police further stated that Yadav and Rastogi had also been arrested in June in connection with a counterfeit-medicine case registered in Pune. Rastogi also has another case registered under the GST Act in 2022.

The three accused were produced before a magisterial court on Thursday and were granted seven days of police remand. The investigation is continuing to establish the complete network involved in the procurement, manufacture and distribution of the suspected counterfeit medicines, reports Economic Times.

The investigation has uncovered an interstate counterfeit blood-pressure medicine network involving supply routes through Lucknow and Jaipur, with suspected fake Nicardia Retard 10 reaching medical stores in different parts of Gujarat. The report also detailed the arrests of the three accused and the recovery of counterfeit medicine from Nadiad and Bhuj.

Authorities are continuing to investigate how the counterfeit tablets were manufactured, identify their source and determine whether additional individuals or locations were involved in the alleged interstate racket.