Ahmedabad, August 28: The Ahmedabad Crime Branch arrested three individuals on Thursday for their involvement in an interstate network selling counterfeit blood pressure medication. The arrests were made in Ahmedabad and Lucknow.
Investigations revealed a supply chain stretching from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to medical outlets in Gujarat. This operation came to light following a complaint from JB Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals. The company reported the circulation of fake ‘Nicardia Retard 10’ (Nifedipine Sustained Release Tablets IP 10 mg) to the Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) on August 19. The counterfeit medication, batch number ACG25007, was manufactured in June 2025 and set to expire in May 2028.
Following the complaint, the company approached Ahmedabad Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot, prompting a joint investigation by the Crime Branch and FDCA teams.
Investigators discovered that the counterfeit stock reached Ahmedabad through the ‘Parshv Medical Agency’ in the Paldi area. This agency allegedly obtained the stock from ‘Sena Medical’ in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Links were also found connecting the stock to ‘AVR Medicos’ in Jaipur. During the investigation, officials seized 30 strips of the reported ‘Nicardia Retard 10’ batch from ‘Kishan Medical Store’ in Nadiad. Additional medications were recovered from ‘Navkar Medical Agency’ and ‘Mahadev Medical Agency’ in Bhuj.
Previously, the FDCA had inspected over 30 medical stores and agencies, confiscating counterfeit ‘Nicardia Retard 10’ tablets. According to the Crime Branch, the accused created tablets using the names, labels, and batch information of genuine products, making them difficult to distinguish from the real ones.
The complaint alleged that those involved were aware that such medications could cause serious harm or even death, yet they continued to supply them for financial gain.
On August 26, around 9:45 PM, police arrested 39-year-old Darshil Sanghvi from Paldi, Ahmedabad, 39-year-old Devendra Yadav from Lucknow, and 34-year-old Umang Rastogi, also from Lucknow. Police claim Sanghvi acquired the counterfeit stock and supplied it to sub-distributors in Ahmedabad and other cities. Devendra allegedly purchased the fake medications at a low price and arranged their distribution in Gujarat, while Umang reportedly bought the medications from vendors and earned commissions by assisting in their supply and sale in Gujarat.
Police noted that both Devendra and Umang had previously been arrested in June for a counterfeit drug case registered at the Vishramnagar police station in Pune. Additionally, a case against Umang under the GST Act was filed in September 2022. The Crime Branch reported that Sanghvi has no prior criminal record.
An FIR has been registered at the DCB police station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 2023. Police teams have been dispatched to Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and other districts to identify additional individuals involved in the manufacturing and distribution of counterfeit medications. The investigation is ongoing. The Crime Branch has urged medical stores, agencies, hospitals, and patients to contact investigators if they suspect they have received counterfeit medications from the arrested individuals or their network.
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