Ambala drug manufacturer arrested for fake govt supply

In a case that exposes a serious breach of pharmaceutical integrity, the Paonta Sahib police have arrested Ambala-based drug manufacturer Aniketh Jain for allegedly producing substandard medicines using the name and batch numbers of another licensed firm. Jain, owner of M/S Danish Lab, was detained late last night from Ambala after an investigation revealed that he had supplied spurious drugs to government hospitals in Ladakh under the false identity of SVR Healthcare.

The case originated from a complaint filed by Nitin Gupta, partner of SVR Healthcare, who reported that Danish Lab had illegally manufactured Amoxycillin Trihydrate dispersible tablets and Cefixime tablets using SVR’s credentials. These medicines were supplied as government stock to the Chief Medical Officer, Ladakh. Alarm was raised when both drugs failed quality tests conducted by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in September, which declared them “not of standard quality”.

Responding to the complaint, the police registered a case under Section 318(4) of the BNS for cheating and dishonest inducement, along with charges under Sections 103 and 104 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999. A Special Investigation Team led by DSP Manvinder Thakur traced the source of the fraudulent batches.

“The fraud surfaced after SVR Healthcare received notices from drug authorities in Himachal and Ladakh,” Thakur said. “On verification, the firm confirmed that these batches were never manufactured by them.” The impugned tablets were shown as produced in October 2024 while carrying expiry dates of September and November 2026.

Laboratory analysis revealed serious quality lapses including deficient assay content, failed disintegration tests and irregular dispersion, faults that directly compromise drug efficacy and signal gross negligence or violation of good manufacturing practices. Thakur further said Jain failed to present any document proving procurement of the medicines from SVR in 2024.

Meanwhile, drug authorities have already imposed a “stop manufacturing” order on Jain’s unit. Assistant Drugs Controller Garima Sharma confirmed that earlier inspections had flagged multiple deficiencies at Dutch Formulation, which remain unresolved even after follow-up visits. Authorities are now working to pinpoint the exact location where the substandard medicines were produced.