Karnataka forms SIT to probe ₹4.91 crore spurious drugs bust near Bengaluru
The Karnataka government has constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a comprehensive probe into the recent seizure of spurious medicines worth ₹4.91 crore from an unlicensed repacking facility near Bidadi on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Senior IPS officer C. Vamshikrishna, Joint Commissioner of Police (West), Bengaluru City Police, will head the SIT. The team also includes officials from the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, Karnataka, which had originally busted the racket. The other members are Superintendent of Police Shiva Prakash Devaraju, CID Superintendent of Police Lokesh B. Jagalasar, Assistant Drug Controller Manjunath Reddy, Assistant Drug Controller Namrata Hallur of Bengaluru South district, and Drug Inspector Neha Murki.
According to a government order dated August 20, the SIT will function under the supervision of the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order). The order declares the SIT a police station, empowering it to register First Information Reports, make arrests, conduct criminal investigations, and prosecute cases in the jurisdictional courts.
The development follows an announcement by Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader on Wednesday that the department would form a joint SIT with the police to probe the case. The state government has described the case as having serious public health implications, given the scale of the operation and the potential reach of the counterfeit medicines.
During the raid on the farmhouse in Bidadi, officials seized a large quantity of medicines that had been procured from Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, and other states. Preliminary investigations suggest that fraudulent drug manufacturing units are operating in these states. The medicines were allegedly relabelled at the Bidadi facility with the names of reputed pharmacy brands and then sold to hospitals and pharmacies at lower prices, undercutting legitimate manufacturers.
This case highlights a growing concern in India's pharmaceutical sector, where counterfeit and substandard drugs pose a significant risk to public health. According to industry estimates, spurious drugs account for a small but concerning percentage of the Indian market, with seizures occurring periodically in various states. The Karnataka government's decision to form a dedicated SIT signals an intent to investigate the matter thoroughly and trace the entire supply chain, from manufacturing to distribution.
The SIT will now work to identify the sources of the raw materials, the manufacturers, the distributors, and the hospitals or pharmacies that may have purchased these drugs. Officials have indicated that the probe will also examine the financial trail, including payments made to suppliers and from buyers, to establish the scale of the operation.
Legal experts note that declaring the SIT a police station is a procedural step that gives the team the same powers as a regular police station, enabling it to act independently and expeditiously. The move is expected to speed up the investigation and ensure that all aspects of the case are covered.
The public has been urged to be cautious when purchasing medicines, particularly from unverified sources. The health department has asked consumers to check for proper packaging, expiry dates, and manufacturer details, and to report any suspicious products to the authorities. The SIT has also appealed to anyone with information about the racket to come forward.
The case has drawn attention to the need for stricter regulation of pharmaceutical repackaging and distribution, and for better coordination between state drug control departments. The Karnataka government's proactive approach may set a precedent for other states to follow in tackling the issue of spurious drugs.
