Lucknow: Five members of a gang were booked in Lucknow after the food safety and drug administration (FSDA) uncovered the alleged sale of counterfeit medicines using a cancelled drug licence, fake invoices, manipulated software records and GST evasion.The case was registered at Aminabad police station on the complaint of a drug inspector following an investigation initiated on a complaint by Zydus Healthcare Ltd, which flagged a suspicious batch of its Clop G cream.During the inquiry, officials inspected Shiv Shakti Medical in Aminabad but found the premises closed. Subsequent investigations uncovered serious irregularities, following which the firm’s drug licence was cancelled in Jan 2026.
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However, authorities found that medicines continued to be traded in the name of the firm even after its licence was revoked.The probe widened after counterfeit Telma-AM and Telma-H tablets manufactured under the Glenmark brand were seized in Ghaziabad. Investigators traced the sales records of the suspected medicines to Shiv Shakti Medical in Lucknow. When officials sought purchase records and invoices, the firm allegedly failed to produce any valid documentation.According to the FSDA, the main accused, Kapil Jaiswal, proprietor of Shiv Shakti Medical, admitted during questioning that he allowed others to use his cancelled drug licence, GST registration number and billing software in lieu of settling an old financial transaction of Rs 18,000. Investigators alleged that fake invoices were generated using these credentials and that Jaiswal received a commission ranging from 3% to 8% on every fraudulent bill.The investigation further revealed that Priyanshu Pal, operator of Vidya Pharm; Harmeet Singh, proprietor of Meet Enterprises; and Sahil JD, operator of RN Pharm, allegedly generated fake invoices in the names of defunct firms and supplied counterfeit medicines to multiple districts, including Kanpur and Gorakhpur.Investigators also found that on July 22, Priyanshu Pal and the wife of the principal accused allegedly met software vendor Abid Ali Akhtar in an attempt to generate fake invoices. However, the plan reportedly fell through after a dispute arose over the name of the firm mentioned on the bill and the corresponding payment. Officials said the meeting provided a crucial lead that helped unravel the wider network.Police lodged an FIR against Kapil Jaiswal, Harmeet Singh, Priyanshu Pal, Sahil JD and Abid Ali Akhtar under multiple provisions of the BNS, including Sections 111, 276, 277, 278, 318, 319, 336 and 338.
