Fake medicines spark uproar in Sodepur after child falls ill

A pharmacy was sealed and its owner arrested after widespread concern over illegal drug trade. A controversy erupted in Sodepur on Thursday night after a woman alleged that her child’s condition deteriorated upon consuming medicine purchased from a local pharmacy on Nilganj Road.

The incident triggered a protest by the family and local residents, prompting a large police force to intervene and restore order. According to sources, the woman had bought medicine for her ailing child from the said pharmacy, but after administering it, the child’s health reportedly worsened. Suspecting the medicine to be counterfeit, she confronted the store authorities, who allegedly denied the accusation. As word spread, locals gathered in protest, demanding action against the sale of fake medicines.

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Police from Khardah police station rushed to the scene, brought the situation under control, sealed the shop, and arrested the pharmacy owner. The incident has caused widespread panic and anger in the area. This incident comes amid growing concerns over the circulation of counterfeit drugs in the market. Recently, the State Drug Control Board seized fake medicines worth Rs 20 lakh in a raid on a wholesale market. Investigations reveal that the counterfeit drugs have entered West Bengal from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand. Sources say drug sellers are lured by the promise of high profits—reportedly twice the margin of genuine medicines – offered by racketeers manufacturing and distributing these fake pharmaceuticals.

Krishnendu Goswami, a representative of the National Bureau of Social Investigation and Social Justice, has called for rigorous zone-wise inspection of medicine shops by the drugs control department. “If these inspections are not carried out, such incidents will keep happening,” he warned. He also highlighted the financial burden on common people due to rising medicine prices and the ineffectiveness of government health schemes like Swasthya Sathi, which many private hospitals refuse to accept. “Now, on top of this, branded fake medicines are flooding the market. The government must take immediate and decisive action,” Goswami said.