Haryana FDA Arrests 2 More in Suspected Spurious Telma-AM Racket, 4 Held
Gurgaon: The investigation into the alleged circulation of spurious Telma-AM tablets has moved closer to the manufacturing network, with the Haryana Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) arresting two more persons from Uttarakhand in connection with the suspected counterfeit medicine racket.
The latest arrests include Vipin Kumar, a resident of Mohammadpur Jat in Haridwar district, who was arrested on September 21 for his alleged involvement in the supply and manufacture of the spurious tablets. Pardeep Kumar, a resident of Kashipur in Udham Singh Nagar district, was arrested at around 9.30 pm on September 25 for his alleged role in the manufacture and sale of the suspected counterfeit medicine.
According to officials, both accused were produced before a court on September 26. Vipin Kumar was sent to 14 days of judicial custody at Bhondsi jail, while Pardeep Kumar was granted four days of custodial remand.
The latest arrests were made more than two months after the first arrests in the case and have taken the total number of accused arrested in connection with the alleged racket to four. The Haryana FDA had earlier arrested Suvrat Dwivedi and Zuvaier as part of the investigation.
The probe had also led authorities to an unlicensed drug stockist operating from Okhla. During a joint search conducted by the Haryana FDA and the Delhi Drugs Control Department, officials found that Shree Balaji Pharmaporium did not possess a valid drug licence. Authorities seized 323 varieties of allopathic medicines from the premises and also recovered 560 strips of suspected spurious Telma-AM tablets.
The case came to light after the Haryana FDA seized suspected counterfeit Telma-AM tablets in the city. The tablets carried the Glenmark label and bore batch number 05251007A. However, the company informed investigators that it had never manufactured any medicine bearing that batch number.
With the latest arrests, investigators are examining the manufacturing and supply chain associated with the suspected spurious Telma-AM tablets. Authorities are also looking into the individual roles allegedly played by all four arrested persons and are attempting to identify other people who may have been involved in the manufacture, movement and sale of the suspected counterfeit medicine.
The latest development comes amid a series of counterfeit drug cases reported in Gurgaon in recent years. In 2023, four persons, including a Turkish national, were arrested for allegedly selling counterfeit Defitelio (defibrotide sodium), an expensive cancer medicine. In 2024, authorities busted a counterfeit drug racket operating from Sector 39 and seized more than 1,000 boxes of fake Tofajak, a generic medicine used for arthritis, leading to the arrest of four persons. In 2025, one person was arrested following the seizure of counterfeit Headon (somatropin) injections, which were allegedly being sold without prescriptions to bodybuilders, reports The Economic Times.
