Ahmedabad Fake BP Medicine Probe: Three More Questioned in Uttarakhand as Crime Branch Hunts Alleged Manufacturing Unit

The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has questioned three more people in Uttarakhand as investigators widen their probe into an interstate network allegedly involved in manufacturing and supplying counterfeit blood pressure medicines.

With the latest development, five alleged vendors have been identified in the case, while two other suspects are absconding. Police said no fresh arrests have been made so far and the three people in Uttarakhand are being questioned to establish their roles and links to the suspected manufacturing network.

Crime Branch Searches for Manufacturing Unit

Two Crime Branch teams have been sent to Uttarakhand to trace the alleged facility where the counterfeit tablets were reportedly manufactured.

Investigators are examining how the medicines were produced and transported to Gujarat and other states. They are also trying to identify other people who may have been involved in the alleged operation.

A senior Crime Branch official said the three people identified in Uttarakhand had previously been booked in a similar counterfeit medicine case in Maharashtra. Investigators are now checking whether that case is connected to the Gujarat investigation.

Three Arrested Earlier

The case came to light after a person who consumed the suspected counterfeit medicine developed complications. The matter was subsequently brought to the attention of J B Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Ltd, which manufactures the genuine medicine.

The company approached the Food and Drug Regulatory Authority, Gujarat, on August 19, alleging that counterfeit versions of Nicardia Retard 10, containing Nifedipine Sustained Release Tablets IP 10 mg, were being sold.

The Ahmedabad Crime Branch, working with the Food and Drug Regulatory Authority, arrested three people on August 26. They were identified as Darsheel Sanghvi, 39, of Paldi in Ahmedabad, and Lucknow residents Devendra Jat Yadav, 39, and Umang Rastogi, 34.

36,000 Suspected Counterfeit Tablets Supplied

Investigators have traced the alleged supply chain from Lucknow to Gujarat and other states.

Police said around 3,600 strips, containing approximately 36,000 tablets, were supplied outside Uttar Pradesh from Lucknow. Around 2,700 strips were allegedly sent to Gujarat, of which about 1,200 strips have been recovered by the Crime Branch and health department officials.

The remaining 1,500 strips are believed to have been sold. Investigators suspect some of the tablets may already have been consumed, while part of the stock could have been distributed further through Pashwa Medical Agency in Ahmedabad.

Same Batch Details Found in Gujarat

The suspected counterfeit tablets reportedly carried the name, packaging and batch information of the genuine medicine.

The batch number was identified as ACG25007, with the tablets shown as manufactured in June 2025 and carrying an expiry date of May 2028.

Investigators have traced the distribution network to medical agencies and stores in Ahmedabad, Nadiad and Kutch.

Thirty strips bearing the same batch details were recovered from Kishan Medical Store in Nadiad. In Kutch, investigators traced supplies to distributors who allegedly procured the medicine through agencies in Jaipur and Bhuj.

FSL Testing Underway

Samples of the seized medicines have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Ahmedabad for examination.

The testing is expected to establish what the tablets contain and whether they have the prescribed active pharmaceutical ingredient or other substances.

The Crime Branch is also examining whether the suspected network was involved in manufacturing counterfeit versions of other medicines.

Investigation Continues Across States

Questioning of the three people in Uttarakhand and the FSL report are expected to help investigators establish the source of the medicines and determine the scale of the alleged operation.

Police are continuing efforts to trace the two absconding suspects and identify others linked to the interstate network.

Officials have also advised medical stores, distributors, hospitals and consumers to remain cautious about the suspected counterfeit batch of Nicardia Retard 10 and to inform investigators if they come across medicines believed to be part of the network.