Tramadol diversion case: ED targets four pharma firms in UP
As many as four pharmaceutical firms in Uttar Pradesh are under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly diverting Tramadol, a regulated opioid painkiller, for illegal sale and abuse in Punjab. The probe follows coordinated raids across multiple states, with ED officials confirming that the firms, located in Lucknow and Muzaffarnagar, are suspected of siphoning off large consignments of the drug in connivance with agents and employees.
The ED's Jalandhar unit is spearheading the investigation, which has revealed that these companies may have been siphoning off large consignments of Tramadol, a prescription-only medication, and routing it to drug addicts with the help of agents and company employees. The development follows Tuesday's simultaneous raids at 15 locations spread across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Maharashtra.
In UP, the searches were conducted at four key locations, two in Lucknow and one each in Muzaffarnagar and Gonda. In Lucknow, the ED raided an apartment on Jopling Road in Hazratganj and another property in the Rajajipuram area. These sites are reportedly linked to pharmaceutical agents and employees.
A senior ED official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, 'Two pharmaceutical companies in Lucknow and two in Muzaffarnagar are under scrutiny for allegedly diverting Tramadol stock for illegal distribution. The agency is verifying discrepancies between manufactured quantities and their authorised sales records.'
According to ED officials, the module under investigation allegedly spanned several states and operated through a nexus involving pharmaceutical firm employees, wholesale distributors, and retailers. The operation started at 8.30 am on Tuesday with assistance from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
'Tramadol is categorised as a psychotropic substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. It is a tightly regulated drug due to its potential for abuse and severe health consequences,' a second official explained. 'Its illegal sale, often at inflated prices, poses a serious threat to public health.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
16 minutes ago
- Time of India
Rs 50 lakh ganja seized in Hyderabad: 4 held including railway employee; NDPS warrants pending
HYDERABAD: The special operations team (SOT) of LB Nagar, in coordination with Hayathnagar police, busted an interstate ganja smuggling racket and arrested four peddlers, including a railway employee from Maharashtra. The arrested were identified as Vikas Baban Salve (30), Ranganath Yurajn Sadve (36), Sagar Gajanan Khandebharad (29) - a central railway employee - and Amol Narayan Borde (26). Officials seized 166 kg of the contraband worth Rs 50 lakh, four mobile phones and Rs 6,200 cash from their possession. Based on a tip-off, officials set up a checkpoint near Dhananjaya function hall in Hayathnagar and intercepted a car. During the search of the vehicle, the officials found 20 sacks of dry ganja weighing 166 kg. Investigators said they procured ganja from one Maik alias Rahul alias Dass and planned to transport it to Maharashtra via Hyderabad. Salve and Sadve have NDPS cases registered against them in Alair and Bhadrachalam police stations. Non-bailable warrants are pending against them.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
POCSO-accused tribal youth gets Madhya Pradesh HC reprieve
BHOPAL: The MP High Court has commuted the death penalty of a 20-year-old tribal man convicted of rape in Khandwa district, reducing his sentence to 25 years of imprisonment. In 2023, a trial court had found him guilty of raping and attempting to murder a 4-year-old girl. Hearing the petition challenging the April 2023 Khandwa district's Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act court's order rendering the youth death sentence, a two-judge bench of Justices Vivek Agrawal and Devnarayan Mishra held that though raping a four-year-old innocent child and strangling her and throwing her in a deserted place is a cruel act, considering the family background of the youth, the death sentence is not appropriate. 'Hence, the sentence imposed upon the appellant for the offence punishable under Sections 363, 450, 307, 201 of the Indian Penal Code is affirmed, but his sentence for the offence punishable under Sections 6 of the POCSO Act is converted from capital punishment to the rigorous imprisonment of 25 years with the fine amount of Rs 10,000…' 'Sentence not apt' The court said though raping a girl is cruel, considering the family background of the youth, the death sentence is not appropriate. 25 year RI & Rs 10,000 fine His sentence has been converted from capital punishment to an RI of 25 years with a fine of Rs 10,000.
The Print
2 hours ago
- The Print
ED takes lesson from Datar & Venugopal episodes, director's nod now must to summon advocates
The move followed strong condemnation by several associations of lawyers of the ED summons issued to two senior advocates in connection with a money-laundering probe. New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Friday issued a circular to its officers instructing them not to summon any advocate as part of the investigation, as it could amount to a violation of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA). The ED circular, a copy of which has been seen by ThePrint, further said that, in exceptional circumstances, when summons have to be issued, it can only be done after the approval of the agency director. From Section 132, 'it is amply clear that a legal practitioner cannot be compelled to disclose any communication made to him in the course and for the purpose of his professional service as such legal practitioner, by or on behalf of his client unless with his client's express consent. However, proviso to Section 132 of the BSA, 2023 has carved out certain exceptions,' said the circular issued by ED's legal wing to field officers. 'In view of the above, it is directed that no summons shall be issued to any advocate in violation of Section 132. Further, if any summon needs to be issued under the exceptions carved out in proviso to Section 132 of the BSA, the same shall be issued with the prior approval of the Director, ED,' it added. The development comes at a time when the ED has drawn criticism from the legal community over summoning senior advocates Arvind Datar and Pratap Venugopal in its probe into dealings of Care Health Insurance (CHIL) and its parent company, Religare Enterprises (REL). Both summonses have been withdrawn. In a letter dated 16 June, the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association expressed 'strong disapproval' of the summons to Datar and said it reflected 'a disturbing trend of investigative overreach'. ThePrint had earlier reported that the ED has been probing money laundering allegations against these firms, including the transfer of shares worth crores to former CHIL non-executive chairperson and REL executive chairperson Rashmi Saluja despite the request being rejected by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). The former board of CHIL cited an opinion that it had sought from Datar to grant shares to Saluja. According to the ED, Datar said IRDAI's approval was not needed since the shares were being granted in her capacity as an REL employee, and not CHIL. Separately, Venugopal was summoned in his capacity as the former independent director of CHIL to understand the circumstances behind the share transfer, the ED spokesperson said. In a statement Friday, the ED spokesperson said, 'In view of the fact that Shri Pratap Venugopal is a Senior Advocate in the Hon'ble Supreme Court, the summons issued to him has been withdrawn and same has been communicated to him. 'In the said communication, it has also been stated that if any documents will be required from him in his capacity as an Independent Director of CHIL, the same will be requested from him to be submitted by email.' (Edited by Sanya Mathur) Also Read: ED's now-withdrawn summons to Arvind Datar: The case, controversy & SC advocates body letter
