A medical store owner in Surat has been arrested for allegedly repackaging a tonic meant for animals and selling it as medicine for children at twice the price, police said.

The Surat Special Operations Group and officials from the Food and Drugs Control Administration raided Shantinath Medical Store on Tuesday. The store's owner, Mohammad Sajid Ibrahim Mulla, 51, was arrested, Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajdeepsinh Nakum told reporters on Wednesday.

The accused allegedly transferred Himalaya Liv.52 Protec Liquid Veterinary Feed Supplement, which is meant for animals, from large cans into smaller bottles of 60 ml and 100 ml. He allegedly put counterfeit labels bearing the name Himalaya Liv.52 Drops, a paediatric product, on the bottles to pass off the liquid as medicine suitable for children.

“He would extract the liquid from large one-litre and five-litre cans of Himalaya Liv.52 Protec Liquid Veterinary Feed Supplement and manually fill it into 60 ml and 100 ml bottles. He would then affix counterfeit labels for Himalaya Liv.52 Drops onto these bottles,” the DCP said.

The accused sold the product at twice its price, Nakum said. Police seized materials and other items valued at Rs 31,195 during the operation.

Police have appealed to people who bought the medicine and experienced any adverse health effects to seek medical treatment immediately. They also advised consumers to verify the authenticity and quality of medicines with their doctors and take them strictly as prescribed.

An FIR was registered at Athwa police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 123 for causing hurt by means of poison, 125 for a rash or negligent act endangering human life, 336 for forgery, and 278 for selling a drug as a different drug.

Source: India Today