Nagpada Police Book Two Men for Selling Spurious Montair-LC Tablets in Kamathipura

The Nagpada police have booked two men for allegedly selling counterfeit Montair-LC tablets following an investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that confirmed the seized drug was spurious. The police action followed an initial inspection at Muskan Chemist in Kamathipura.

The two accused have been identified as Ghulam Raju Khan and Paresh Kantilal Sakariya, the proprietor of Sakariya Pharma located in Kalbadevi. The FIR was registered against both individuals on August 14.

The case originated when Drug Inspector Hemant Ade acted on information received on July 3, 2025, concerning the suspected sale of fake pharmaceutical products at Muskan Chemist in Kamathipura. Following the tip-off, FDA officials conducted inspections and seized samples of several medicines, including Montair-LC, ShelcAl 500, Chymoral Fort, Budecort Rotacaps, and ShelcAl Neu tablets for laboratory testing.

Subsequent laboratory analysis of the Montair-LC sample revealed that the medicine was "Not of Standard Quality." Further testing showed that the tablet contained only 73.26% of the labelled amount of Levocetirizine Hydrochloride. Additionally, the tests failed to detect any Montelukast Sodium in the sample, leading laboratory authorities to classify the drug as "Spurious."

During the FDA inquiry, Khan claimed that he had procured the medicines from Sakariya Pharma. However, Sakariya allegedly failed to produce the purchase and supply records requested by the FDA during the investigation.

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Cipla Ltd, Sikkim, later confirmed that the sample was counterfeit and had not originated from its manufacturing facility. Nagpada police are currently probing the supply chain to trace the distribution network and determine the possible involvement of others in the racket.