NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Joint Drug Controller (JDC) of Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and a Director of private company on Monday for allegedly demanding and accepting bribes. The accused were arrested after raids at the premises.
The accused have been identified as S. Eswara Reddy, JDC and Dinesh Dua, Director, Synergy Network India Private Limited, Delhi. The CBI held JDS S Eswara Reddy for allegedly receiving a Rs 4 lakh bribe to waive phase-three clinical trial of Insulin Aspart injection, an underdevelopment product of Biocon Biologics.
The other accused against whom case have been registered are Guljit Sethi, Director of Bioinnovat Research Services Private Limited, L. Praveen Kumar, Associate Vice President and Head-National Regulatory Affairs (NRA) at Biocon Biologics Limited, Bangalore, Animesh Kumar, Assistant Drug Inspector (ADI) at CDSCO and other unknown officials.
It was alleged that the accused were trying to exert undue influence on officers of CDSCO under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (GOI), Delhi to waive the Phase III trial of “Insulin Aspart Injection”.
It was also alleged that the accused agreed to pay bribe amount of Rs 9,00,000 to JDC, CDSCO for processing the said three files related to a private company based at Bangalore and for recommending the file of “Insulin Aspart injection” to the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) meeting.
The CBI laid a trap wherein, the JDC of CDSCO was caught accepting the while accepting bribe of Rs 4,00,000. Searches were conducted at 11 places located at Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Patna, Bengaluru which led to recovery of incriminating documents and articles.
Undue influence
The CBI alleged the accused were trying to exert undue influence on officers to waive the Phase III trial of “Insulin Aspart Injection” and agreed to pay bribe of Rs 9,00,000