Racket: Rajasthan Government Procures Medicines, Private Chemists Sell them In Maharashtra

Thane: Several chemists and distributors across the country have been booked by Maharashtra police for allegedly selling medicines procured by the Rajasthan government for its schemes, officials said.

The officials said that the persons who have been booked owned shops in Indore and Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, Kolkata in West Bengal, Surat in Gujarat besides Mumbai and Thane.

Police said that private medical biotechnology firm Reliance Life Sciences Private Limited had filed a complaint with the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in this connection in July this year.

The Navi Mumbai-headquartered firm had stated in its complaint that some chemist shops had been found selling medicines which it had supplied to the Rajasthan government, an official said.

After investigating the matter, the Maharashtra FDA registered a complaint yesterday with Thane Rural police's Navghar police station in Bhayander, said sub-inspector Vijay Takke.

He said that a case had been registered against these shop owners and medicine distributors under relevant sections of the Drug and Cosmetics Act, which regulates the import, manufacture, and distribution of drugs in India, and the Indian Penal Code.

The alleged accused have been booked under sections 18, 18(K)(6) and 17 of Cosmetics and Drugs Act of 1940 and also sections 420, 463, 464 RW 34 of the IPC.

However, no arrests had been made so far and further probe into the nationwide racket is on, he added.