Surat Medical Store Owner Arrested for Selling Animal Tonic as Children’s Medicine

Surat , October 23 : Surat Police arrested a medical store owner for repackaging a veterinary feed supplement and selling it as medicine for children using counterfeit labels. The case came to light after the Surat Special Operations Group (SOG) raided a medical store in the Gopipura locality of Surat, exposing the sale of an animal product as a paediatric medicine.

 

 

The accused, identified as Mohammad Sajid Ibrahim Mulla (51), operated the store under the name ‘Shri Shantinath Medical Store’. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajdeepsinh Nakum, Mulla transferred liquid from large cans of Himalaya Liv.52 Protec Liquid Veterinary Feed Supplement, intended for animals, into smaller bottles of 60 ml and 100 ml.

 

He then placed counterfeit labels bearing the name Himalaya Liv.52 Drops, a product intended for children, on these bottles to make them appear suitable for human consumption.

 

According to the police, the accused extracted the liquid from one-litre and five-litre cans and manually filled smaller bottles before applying the counterfeit labels. He sold the repackaged product at twice its price.

 

During the operation, police seized materials and other items valued at Rs 31,195. An FIR was registered at Athwa police station under Sections 123, 125, 336 and 278 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), covering offences related to causing harm through poisonous substances, negligent acts endangering human life, forgery and selling a drug as a different drug.

 

 

Veterinary supplements are formulated for animal use and should not be treated as substitutes for medicines intended for humans. Such products may have different formulations, concentrations or additives and may not have undergone the safety testing required for human consumption.

 

Passing off an animal product as paediatric medicine creates serious concerns, particularly because children may be exposed to substances that have not been established as safe for them.

 

Police have urged anyone who purchased the product and experienced adverse health effects to seek medical attention immediately and contact the authorities. Consumers have also been advised to verify medicines with their treating doctors and take medication strictly as prescribed.