Medical store owner held for black marketing of medicines

Surat: Police arrested a mediator on Monday, who was involved in the black marketing of medicines that are on high demand for treatment of Covid-19 patients. The racket was busted by the Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA). Mitul Shah, who runs a medical store in Adajan, was arrested for allegedly playing a role in arranging Tocilizumab for a city-based medical store. Shah purchased the injection for Rs 45,000 and sold it for Rs 50,000 to another accused Uma Kejriwal, owner of another Sarthak Pharma, a medical store in Vesu.
Earlier on Friday, police had booked seven persons at Umra police station for involvement in the racket.The accused were arranging injections from Ahmedabad on forged papers and selling it at Rs 57,000 against its actual MRP of Rs 40,545.
Police booked Kejriwal and Shah, owner of New Shanti Medicines _ both residents of Surat _ Amit Manchharamani, Ghanshyam Vyas, Abhishek, Bhavesh Solanki of Dhruvi Distributors, four from Ahmedabad and Bhavesh, a resident of Mumbai. The accused were booked under the various sections of the Indian Penal Code for criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and others. They were also booked under two separate Acts, the Drug and Cosmetics Act and the Essential Commodities Act.
On June 19, FDCA had laid a trap at Sarthak Pharma on Vesu-Abhva Road following specific information of black marketing of Tocilizumab. FDCA sent a dummy buyer and the medical store owner agreed to arrange the injection. After a few days the injection was arranged and sold to the buyer at Rs 57,000.
Investigation by FDCA revealed that Kejriwal bought the injection from Shah who bought it from Manchharamani.
“Police are searching for other accused involved in the case,” said an officer at the Umra police station.