Guj: Pharma wholesaler held for black marketing of remdesivir

Based on the complaint, the crime branch initiated an inquiry and arrested Zalavadia for forging bills in Dr Chauhan's name and selling the injections to others, he said. "Zalavadia acquired the injections from the other accused Faldu.

A wholesaler of medicines was arrested for his alleged involvement in black marketing of remdesivir, a drug used in the treatment of COVID-19, in Gujarat's Rajkot city on Tuesday, police said. Acting on a complaint, the Rajkot crime branch nabbed Paresh Zalavadia (35), owner of New Ideal Agency, a wholesale pharmacy, said inspector V K Gadhvi.

Earlier, another accused Rajnikant Faldu, a medical representative of a reputed pharma company, was arrested for a similar offence. Remdesivir is in high demand and dealers are supposed to keep record of sales of the drug, which can only be sold against doctors' prescriptions, the official said, adding that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also keeps a track of these transactions.

Recently, the complainant, Dr Anand Chauhan of Anand Clinic, learnt that Zalavadia had submitted bills to the Rajkot Food and Drug office claiming to have sold 24 remdesivir injections worth Rs 46,473 to him, which the doctor denied, Gadhvi said. Based on the complaint, the crime branch initiated an inquiry and arrested Zalavadia for forging bills in Dr Chauhan's name and selling the injections to others, he said.

"Zalavadia acquired the injections from the other accused Faldu. We are now trying to trace the buyers of these injections," Gadhvi said. The accused have been booked under the charges of forgery, cheating and under provisions of Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Diseases Act.

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