60,000 spurious tablets also supplied in Jammu

Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 22: As the Crime Branch today arrested another accused in spurious drugs rackets, preliminary investigations being conducted by a Special Investigating Team (SIT) have revealed that 60,000 tablets of Meximizin 625, which contained starch instead of Amoxicillin 500 mg and Clevlonit Potassium 125 mg, had also been supplied by the traders in two Government hospitals of Jammu.
Authorities have identified that the accused drug suppliers-M/s Life Line Pharmaco Surgicals, Dream City, Muthi, Jammu had purchased counterfeit drugs from M/s Sanative Pharmaceuticals Private Limited Selequl, Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Jammu Purchase Committee-II, whose members were on radar of the Crime Branch and which had placed the orders for supply in second half of last year, was headed by Director Health Services, Jammu, Dr Madhu Khullar.
The Crime Branch has also come across a racket of spurious drug manufacturers, who were operating from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh, bordering New Delhi and besides Jammu and Kashmir had also supplied similar fake drugs to Rajasthan after purchasing them from Dehradun based factory.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Crime Branch SIT, which was headed by Nissar Ahmad, SSP Crime Branch, Jammu, today arrested another drugs supplier, who was license holder of M/s Life Line Pharmaco Surgicals Limited, Dream City, Muthi from New Delhi.
He has been identified as Amardeep Raina, brother of Ashok Kumar Raina, a resident of Muthi, who was arrested last evening by the Crime Branch. Their partner, Akhil Gadoo of Dhumal Colony, Talab Tillo was still absconding but the SIT has launched a hunt to nab him.
Sources said preliminary investigations conducted by the Crime Branch have revealed that M/s Life Line Pharma had supplied a total of 2.65 lakh tablets to the Government hospitals across the State in second half of last year. While 2.05 lakh tablets were supplied in the Kashmir Valley, 60,000 had been supplied to the Government hospitals in Jammu region.
The fraud drug dealers had supplied 50,000 spurious tablets-Meximizin 625 mg to SMGS hospital on November 9, 2012 and 10,000 tablets to Gandhi Nagar Hospital on November 24, 2012.
In Kashmir Valley, they had supplied 2 lakh tablets to Provincial Medical Store, Barzulla and 5,000 tablets to Lalded Hospital, Srinagar on November 24, 2012. The drugs were supplied vide bill No. LL422 dated November 7, 2012.
Sources said M/s Life Line Pharma had used the batch of M/s Affy Paranterals, Budhi, Solan in Himachal Pradesh for supplying the drugs. They had obtained the contract on the name of M/s Medley Pharmaceuticals Limited by forging their letter heads and other documents.
All spurious drugs, whose stock was still left in the hospitals, have been seized, sources said.
They added that the drug suppliers had come into contact with some persons engaged in the business of spurious drugs at Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, bordering New Delhi, who further took them to M/s Sanative Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, Selequl, Dehradun from where the accused purchased spurious drugs.
The same company is also reported to have supplied spurious drugs to Rajasthan but, sources said, the claim was being verified with Health Department of that State.
They said the SIT of the Crime Branch would first complete investigations in Jammu before raiding the manufacturing factory at Dehradun as it had to be done with cooperation of Uttarakhand Police and Health authorities after obtaining prior warrants and permission.
Sources said the Crime Branch was presently obtaining clues from the drug suppliers and would start questioning of the members of Jammu Purchase Committee-II later.
They added that in addition to supply spurious drugs, the accused also committed forgery by supplying fake and forged documents of Medley Pharmaceuticals to obtain tender for supply of drugs.
The Crime Branch has, meanwhile, constituted a SIT for investigations of the cases. Headed by Nissar Ahmad, SSP Crime Branch, Jammu, the SIT comprised one DySP, Inspector, Sub Inspector, Assistant Sub Inspector, Head Constable and a Prosecuting Officer.
The SIT today produced Ashok Kumar Raina, one of the drug suppliers before the court of Additional Munsiff (Forest Magistrate), which remanded the accused to Crime Branch custody for eight days.
The SIT, which arrested Raina’s brother, Amardeep Raina from New Delhi, shifted him here this evening on transit remand. He would be produced before the court tomorrow for remand.

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