Four arrested for procuring medicines on fake cheques from pharmacies in Ghaziabad

The group would contact pharmacies posing as doctors from reputed hospitals. They placed bulk orders for medicines, 70–80% of which were meant for critical diseases, said police.

Police in Ghaziabad have arrested four individuals for allegedly impersonating doctors from major hospitals to fraudulently obtain high-value medicines from pharmacies across multiple states using fake cheques, officials said on Friday.

The exact cost of medicines procured fraudulently runs in crores of rupees, and it is difficult at present to ascertain the amount, police said.

The accused, identified by police as Mukesh Taneja (47), Amit Khurana (39), Deep Singh Chugh (39), and Mukesh Akhariya (35) – all residents of Rohtak – were part of a racket active since 2021. Two accomplices, Deepak Kumar and Sahil Khurana, remain at large, according to crime branch of Ghaziabad police.

According to additional deputy commissioner of police (Crime) Piyush Kumar Singh, the group would contact pharmacies posing as doctors or heads of departments from reputed hospitals. They placed bulk orders for medicines, 70–80% of which were meant for critical diseases. “When the delivery person arrived, the ‘doctor’ would claim to be in surgery and direct the stock to a ‘staff member’ near the hospital gate, who would hand over a counterfeit cheque,” ADCP Singh said.

When the cheque was presented at banks, it would turn out to be fake.

The group would then sell the medicines to retailers in various states at discounted prices. Police have registered 54 complaints from pharmacies across Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat.

“The exact cost of medicines procured fraudulently runs in crores of rupees, and it is difficult at present to ascertain the amount. An investigation is underway,” ADCP Singh said.

In one case from November 2025, the group obtained medicines worth ₹1.5 lakh from a Ghaziabad pharmacy while impersonating the head of a government hospital. In another, they secured stock worth ₹1.09 lakh pretending to be from a Gautam Budh Nagar healthcare facility.

The accused have been charged under sections 318(4) (cheating) and 319(2) (impersonation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigations are ongoing to trace the absconding suspects and assess the full extent of the fraud.