JAMMU : Amid protests in the State, Crime Branch Jammu has booked the owners of a drug company and Government officials in connection with supply and purchase of spurious drugs.
Jammu Crime Branch has registered a case against the proprietors of Life Line Pharmaco Surgicals of Jammu and members of the Purchase Committee of Health and Medical Education Department for supply and purchase of Amoxicillin Trihydrate and Potassium Clavulanate Diluted drugs, Crime Branch officers said today.
A report submitted by a committee constituted by the government to enquire into the lapses leading to purchase of these drugs, showed that the owners of Life Line Pharmaco Surgicals flouted Government norms while participating in the tendering process, they said.
The accused proprietors also produced an authorisation certificate purportedly issued by Medley Pharmaceuticals Ltd, they said adding, the rate quoted by Life Line Pharmaco Surgicals was found to be the lowest by the Purchase Committee-II and were approved and supply orders placed for 2,65,000 tablets.
During the course of enquiry, it came to light that Medley Pharmaceuticals Ltd had not issued any authorisation to Life Line Pharmaco Surgicals and the owners of Life Line Pharmaco Surgicals had entered into the tendering process and supply of drugs by producing fake and fabricated authorisation certificate, they said.
The company supplied spurious drugs in connivance with officials of the Purchase Committee-II, who without verifying the tender documents and credentials of the supplier, approved the rates by abusing their official position, causing wrongful gain to suppliers and huge loss to public exchequer, the officers said.
Different teams were constituted to conduct raids at various locations and during the course, one Ashok Kumar Raina was taken into custody for questioning, Crime Branch officers said.
“Some incriminating documents and material have been recovered and seized. Preliminary investigation has revealed that these drugs were manufactured in a factory outside the state and sealed by concerned authorities,” they said adding, efforts are on to apprehend the remaining suspects involved in the case.
The company has supplied drugs worth Rs 11.32 lakh and its promoters were two Kashmiris.
The report of the probe committee set up by the government after protests in Kashmir, gave clean chit to former Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma, who is the present PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister.
Earlier, on April 5 the State Government had blacklisted the pharmaceutical company Life Line Pharmaco Surgical Ltd and cancelled its drug licence for supplying sub-standard antibiotic medicines meant for Government hospitals. (AGENCIES)
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