2 days ago
Counterfeit Ozempic drugs sold abroad: Delhi court junks anticipatory bail plea of man involved in racket
A Delhi court has dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of a man accused in an international racket involving the supply of counterfeit Ozempic — the anti-diabetic and weight loss drug.
The man, Vicky Ramancha, is accused of orchestrating an international criminal conspiracy to supply counterfeit drugs to foreign entities.
Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh Laler of Patiala House Court noted in his order, 'Swift legal action against pharmaceutical crimes is essential for maintaining India's position as the 'Pharmacy of the World' and protecting legitimate manufacturers from regulatory backlash.'
'India's pharmaceutical industry represents a strategic national asset requiring protection from criminal exploitation. The supply of counterfeit pharmaceuticals represents a direct threat to public health and safety,' he added.
As per the Economic Offences Wing which is investigating the crime, the 'sophisticated transnational fraud operation' allegedly caused financial losses close to 19 million US dollars to Assure Global LLC, which was the complainant in this case.
'Economic consequences (of such an offence) include loss of market share for legitimate manufacturers, reduction in export revenues and foreign exchange earnings, increased regulatory compliance costs for entire industry, and potential trade sanctions and import restrictions by recipient countries,' the court said.
'The regulatory and diplomatic impact involves damage to India's reputation as a reliable pharmaceutical manufacturer, increased scrutiny from international regulatory bodies (FDA, EMA, WHO), potential disruption of pharmaceutical trade agreements, and strain on diplomatic relationships with importing nations,' it added.
The prosecution outlined that there were broader implications of such a crime, including public health and safety concerns.
It also stated that the international nature of the alleged crimes created concerns about destruction of electronic records and communications, influencing international co-conspirators and manipulation of complex financial records across jurisdictions.
The accused had argued over territorial jurisdiction, stating that no part of the alleged criminal conspiracy occurred within Indian territory.
It was the contention of the defence counsel that all agreements were executed outside India and the pharmaceutical products were delivered from China to the USA. The lawyer also stated that the complainant in this case was a foreign entity.
To which the judge said, 'The applicant allegedly used Indian legal systems to lend legitimacy to fraudulent operations through notarisation of key documents at Patiala House Courts, creation of false impression of government backing through use of official Indian legal processes.'
'Modern criminal law recognises that transnational crimes cannot escape prosecution merely because they span multiple jurisdictions. The principle of territoriality must be applied pragmatically in cases involving international fraud schemes,' he added, dismissing the defence counsel's argument.
