Pharma distributor in Karimnagar arrested in counterfeit anti-epileptic drug case, second in a week

The Telangana Drugs Control Administration (DCA) on Friday, July 11 arrested R. Venu Gopal, Managing Partner and Competent Person of Venu Medical Agencies in Karimnagar, for selling counterfeit anti-epileptic tablets falsely labelled as a product of a leading pharmaceutical company.

This is the second arrest by the DCA in a week in connection with the distribution of counterfeit Levipil 500 tablets (Levetiracetam 500 mg), a drug prescribed to treat epilepsy. Earlier this week, Manish Kumar, Partner-cum-Competent Person of Arvind Pharma Distributors in Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, was arrested for a similar offence.

The latest arrest follows a raid conducted on July 5 at Venu Medical Agencies, located in Sai Nagar, Doctors Street, Karimnagar, where officials seized a consignment of counterfeit Levipil 500 tablets. The packaging falsely claimed the drug was manufactured by Sun Pharma Laboratories Limited.

A batch comparison conducted by Sun Pharma confirmed that the seized tablets were counterfeit. Following this, Venu Gopal was arrested and produced before the Additional Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Karimnagar, which remanded him to judicial custody until July 23. He is currently lodged at the District Prison in Karimnagar.