Talcum Powder and Starch in Counterfeit Antibiotics Supplied to Government Hospitals

Talcum Powder and Starch Found in Counterfeit Antibiotics

A 1,200-page chargesheet has revealed that counterfeit antibiotics distributed to government hospitals in Nagpur were made from talcum powder mixed with starch. The fake drugs were produced in a Haridwar-based veterinary medicine laboratory and supplied across India, including Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand. Funds for these counterfeit medicines were sourced through hawala channels used by racketeers to transfer large sums of money from Mumbai to Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Key Figures in the Racket

Hemant Muley has been identified as the main offender, having participated in the tender to supply these counterfeit medicines. Two others, Mihir Trivedi and Vijay Chaudhury, have also been charged, with Chaudhury currently incarcerated for a separate fraud case. The investigation led to the Haridwar veterinary laboratory of Amit Dhiman, who was already in jail after being arrested by Uttarakhand STF.

Investigation and Findings

The state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uncovered this racket in December 2023 when approximately 21,600 Ciprofloxacin 500mg tablets were seized from medicine stores under the Nagpur Civil Surgeon at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH). The samples sent to the government laboratory for testing indicated a complete absence of medicinal value in the tablets.

The counterfeit tablets, intended for treating bacterial infections ranging from urinary tract infections to pneumonia, were distributed in 2022 and 2023 across government-run civil hospitals within the district. This alarming case was uncovered after drug inspector Nitin Bhandarkar discovered that antibiotics supplied to a rural hospital at Kalmeshwar were fake. The suppliers and distributors were subsequently blacklisted by the civil surgeon's office.