Prashant is reportedly in the custody of Azerbaijani authorities after his visa expired on September 9. Efforts are underway to bring him back to India.
Published Sep 15, 2026 | 5:18 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 15, 2026 | 5:18 PM
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The alleged racket came to light after police raids in Bengaluru’s Bidadi and Dodderi areas on 18 August.
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Synopsis: Efforts to bring back R Prashant, the suspected kingpin of the alleged interstate counterfeit-medicine racket busted in Karnataka in August, are reportedly facing difficulties because India and Azerbaijan do not have an extradition treaty. Prashant is reportedly in Azerbaijani custody after his visa expired on September 9. He is expected to be arrested after the issue is resolved and he is brought back to India.
The efforts to bring R Prashant, the suspected kingpin of the alleged interstate counterfeit-medicine racket busted in Karnataka in August, back from Azerbaijan have run into difficulties due to the lack of an extradition treaty between the two countries, TV9 Kannada reported, citing unnamed sources in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case.
Prashant is reportedly in the custody of Azerbaijani authorities after his visa expired on 9 September. Efforts are underway to resolve the issue and bring him back to India, following which he is expected to be taken into custody by the SIT.
Separately, the SIT is preparing to take Veeresh Kumar Jain, who was arrested in connection with the case on Monday and is lodged in Parappana Agrahara prison, into custody on a body warrant for further questioning.
The alleged racket came to light after police raids in Bengaluru’s Bidadi and Dodderi areas on 18 August, when suspected counterfeit medicines worth around ₹5 crore were seized.
The SIT and the Drugs Control Department have since conducted coordinated searches at around 10 locations across six States to trace the manufacturing and distribution network.
State of the investigation
Preliminary findings indicate that Veeresh, owner of Krupa Healthcare near Minerva Circle in Bengaluru, was allegedly involved in the production and supply of the fake medicines.
The SIT arrested Veeresh after searches at his pharmacy led to the seizure of suspected counterfeit cancer medicines, life-saving drugs and ICU injections.
After the medicines were produced, he allegedly listed them and supplied them to hospitals and medical centres in Bengaluru.
Investigators suspect that Veeresh was part of a network that supplied counterfeit medicines to more than 90 hospitals and clinics in Bengaluru and surrounding areas. More than 15 medical representatives allegedly distributed the medicines to hospitals across the city and beyond.
The SIT also reportedly found during its interrogation that the alleged fake-drug network was generating an annual turnover of about ₹15 crore.
During his initial interrogation, Veeresh reportedly told investigators that he received the medicines and supplied them to buyers. The SIT is now trying to establish the full operation, including the import of the medicines, their supply, profit-sharing arrangements and the structure of the network.
