Lucknow: The Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) has lodged an FIR against four pharmaceutical firms and their proprietors for allegedly running an organised network involved in the purchase and sale of counterfeit medicines, after investigators found that 24,000 tubes of a popular ointment could neither be physically verified nor supported by purchase records.The FIR, registered at Aminabad police station, names Rakesh Kumar, Avinash Chaudhary, Rishabh Kashyap and Sunny Kashyap.FSDA officials said the case began with a complaint filed by Zydus Healthcare Ltd on May 15, 2025, alleging that counterfeit versions of Thrombophob Ointment 20 gm were being sold, bearing batch numbers I403999 and I404222.Drug inspectors later carried out inspections and identified what they described as a chain of fictitious transactions spanning multiple firms. As per the inquiry, M/s Shiv Shakti Pharma showed the purchase of the ointment from Maharaja Enterprises and later issued a debit note claiming the return of 24,000 tubes.During the investigation, neither the physical stock nor the original purchase invoices were produced, the FSDA said. The firms also failed to furnish stock registers and other mandatory documentation, preventing verification of the product’s source and movement.The FSDA concluded that fabricated invoices were allegedly used to introduce counterfeit product into the market for illegal profits. Officials warned the suspected counterfeit ointment, carrying an expiry date of July 2027, could pose serious public health risks if it reaches patients. Police are examining the supply chain, bank transactions, billing records and other financial dealings.
