Counterfeit Drug Racket Using Lupin Brand Busted in Puducherry, FIR Filed
Puducherry: The misuse of the Lupin pharmaceutical brand in the manufacture and circulation of fake medicines has come under renewed scrutiny after Puducherry police registered one more criminal case against Raja, the key accused in an illegal drug manufacturing racket operating from the Union Territory.
The latest case was filed following fresh evidence that counterfeit medicines falsely branded as Lupin products were being produced and distributed without authorisation.
Investigators said the accused was running an unauthorised drug manufacturing unit at the Mettupalayam Industrial Estate, where tablets and capsules were produced in violation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The spurious medicines were deliberately packaged and labelled to resemble genuine Lupin products, with the intention of misleading traders, pharmacies and patients.
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Officials from the Drugs Control Department confirmed that inspections revealed large quantities of fake medicines, packaging materials, labels and machinery used to replicate branded formulations. The discovery followed complaints from pharmaceutical companies about counterfeit drugs misusing their brand identity, prompting enforcement agencies to intensify inspections and raids.
Raja and his associate Vivek were earlier arrested in connection with the fake Lupin medicines case and were later granted bail by the Puducherry Chief Judicial Magistrate Court. However, continued investigation led to the registration of an additional case after authorities uncovered further instances of illegal manufacturing and attempted distribution of counterfeit Lupin-labelled drugs.
According to a recent media report in The Hindu, the fresh case was registered as part of the ongoing probe into the illegal drug manufacturing unit, with police stating that new evidence warranted additional legal action against the accused.
The Drugs Control Department reiterated that the unauthorised manufacture of medicines under reputed brand names such as Lupin poses a serious public health risk and warned that strict action would be taken against all those involved in the production, storage or sale of fake medicines.
