Haryana’s Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has arrested two more people in connection with the alleged manufacture and sale of counterfeit Telma-AM tablets, taking the total number of arrests in the case to four. The investigation is now focusing on the manufacturing and supply network behind the spurious medicines.
Telma-AM is a prescription medicine used to treat high blood pressure. The latest arrests were made in Uttarakhand, with officials alleging that the accused were involved in manufacturing, supplying and selling the counterfeit tablets.
Vipin Kumar, a resident of Mohammadpur Jat in Haridwar district, was arrested on September 21. Pardeep Kumar, a resident of Kashipur in Udham Singh Nagar district, was arrested on September 25.
Both accused were produced before a court on September 26. While Vipin Kumar was sent to 14 days of judicial custody at Bhondsi jail, Pardeep Kumar was granted four days of custodial remand for further questioning.
Earlier, the FDA had arrested two other accused, Suvrat Dwivedi and Zuvaler, in connection with the alleged racket.
The case came to light after the FDA seized suspected counterfeit Telma-AM tablets in Gurgaon. The tablets carried the Glenmark label and batch number 05251007A. However, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals informed investigators that it had not manufactured medicines under the batch number.
During a subsequent joint search by the Haryana FDA and the Delhi Drugs Control Department, officials discovered an unlicensed drug stockist, Shree Balaji Pharmaporium, in Okhla. The establishment was found operating without a valid drug licence. Authorities seized 323 varieties of allopathic medicines and recovered 560 strips of suspected counterfeit Telma-AM tablets.
Investigators are now examining the manufacturing and distribution channels to establish the roles of the accused and identify others allegedly involved in the racket.
The case adds to a series of counterfeit medicine investigations in the region. In recent years, authorities have uncovered alleged rackets involving fake cancer drugs, arthritis medication and hormone injections, highlighting concerns over the illegal manufacture and sale of medicines.
