Kala Amb/Shimla, Nov 17: A major counterfeit drug racket with cross-state links has been unearthed by Sirmaur Police, revealing how fake medicines were allegedly supplied to Ladakh using forged licences of a Himachal Pradesh-based firm.
The Superintendent of Police, Sirmaur, N. S. Negi, confirmed that Aniket, owner of M/s Danish Lab in Ambala, Haryana, has been arrested. Investigators traced the supply of counterfeit drugs, including Amoxicillin Trihydrate Dispersible Tablets IP 250 mg and Cefixime Tablets IP 200 mg, to Ladakh’s Chief Medical Officer in 2024. The medicines were falsely branded as products of SVR Health Care, Paonta Sahib.
The probe began after Nitin Gupta, partner at SVR Health Care, filed a complaint stating his firm’s licence and batch numbers had been fraudulently used. Drug inspectors in Ladakh found the samples non-compliant, prompting the involvement of Sirmaur authorities.
A criminal case was registered on November 10 at Puruwala Police Station under the Counterfeiting and Trademarks Act, 1999.Given the seriousness of the allegations, SP Negi constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by DSP Paonta Sahib.
On November 14, the SIT, along with Drug Controller Officer Hemant Grover, inspected Danish Lab’s premises in Ambala, uncovering major procedural violations and inconsistencies.
SP Negi said the investigation is ongoing: “We are examining the entire supply chain to determine whether more individuals or entities were involved in manufacturing, packaging, or distributing the counterfeit medicines.” Officials have not ruled out additional arrests.
The case highlights vulnerabilities in health systems in remote regions like Ladakh, where multi-state procurement chains exist, and raises concerns over protecting Himachal Pradesh’s pharmaceutical reputation, one of India’s largest pharma hubs.
