Haryana authorities conducted raids at a pharmacy and a house in Gurugram Sector 39 on Wednesday and recovered more than 1,000 boxes of counterfeit drugs. (HT PHOTO)
Haryana authorities conducted raids at a pharmacy and a house in Gurugram Sector 39 on Wednesday and recovered more than 1,000 boxes of counterfeit drugs, officials aware of the case said, adding that they have arrested three people in connection with the case.
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The officials said the counterfeit drug in question was Tofajak, which is used to treat arthritis and is manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Cipla. A representative for Cipla said the recovered boxes — each containing 60 tablets — will be sent to their laboratory to analyse what materials were used to manufacture the fake drug.
The raids, conducted by the chief minister’s flying squad, state drugs control department, and the Sector 40 crime unit, took place after authorities received a tip-off about Mohammadia Pharmacy at Sector 39 selling counterfeit drugs, police said.
During searches at the pharmacy, officers recovered 50 boxes of Tofajak, and when shop owner Yusuf Wasi was asked to present valid bills for the same, he failed to produce any documentation, police said. At this point, they said, Cipla director of corporate affairs Rahul Vij was called to the spot, who confirmed that the drugs were indeed fake.
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“When we inspected the counterfeit boxes, it was immediately clear that the packaging quality was poor. There was a significant difference between the original product and the spurious ones, regarding the codes, we are verifying. We will be sending the recovered packs to our lab to analyse what materials were used for the medicines,” Vij said.
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“When we inspected the counterfeit boxes, it was immediately clear that the packaging quality was poor. There was a significant difference between the original product and the spurious ones, regarding the codes, we are verifying. We will be sending the recovered packs to our lab to analyse what materials were used for the medicines,” Vij said.
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Police said that during interrogation, Yusuf revealed he was supplied the fake drugs by Naseem (identified only by one name), who lived in a rented house in Sector 39. Raids at his house led to the recovery of 964 more boxes of the counterfeit drug, and revealed the role of Zubair Mohammad from Nuh, who helped Naseem distribute the fake medicines.
According to police, Naseem supplied the drugs for ₹500 per box, which were then sold to pharmacies for ₹690, and ultimately resold to customers for ₹900. The actual market price of the medicine is ₹1,200 per box.
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All three suspects have been arrested and charged under multiple sections of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940. Yusuf and Naseem were remanded to five days of police custody, while Zubair was sent to judicial custody in Bhondsi Jail. Further, the drugs control department sealed the pharmacy and is in the process of cancelling its licence.
Gurugram drug control officer Amandeep Chauhan said there are several questions that remain unanswered and are being probed. “One of the biggest concerns is how the gang managed to replicate Cipla’s bar code. This raises the possibility of insider involvement within the pharmaceutical industry,” he said.
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest.
Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents.
Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure.
Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing.
Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity.
Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations.
Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling.
A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.
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