Gujarat: Adulterated plasma seized, declared ‘unfit for human use’; probe extends to Maha blood banks

Ahmedabad, June 29 (IANS) Investigators probing the blood plasma adulteration racket uncovered in Ahmedabad district have found that all 1,140 plasma units seized from the alleged mastermind’s residence were adulterated, of inferior quality and unfit for human use, prompting authorities to begin the process of destroying the seized stock while expanding the investigation to multiple blood banks in Maharashtra.

The Ahmedabad Rural Police said on Monday that a forensic report from the Department of Pathology at B.J. Medical College concluded that the plasma units recovered from the residence of the main accused, Dinesh Chaudhary, failed to meet the Food and Drugs Administration’s prescribed standards.

“The plasma was of very poor quality, posed a risk to human life and was not suitable for transfusion,” the report concluded.

The findings have led investigators to conclude that even the plasma which the accused allegedly sold as genuine had been adulterated after it was stolen.

Police said the accused removed a portion of high-quality plasma from genuine plasma units and mixed saline water into the remaining contents to restore the original volume, thereby reducing the plasma’s quality.

Whenever fresh consignments of genuine plasma arrived, the accused allegedly replaced them with plasma units that had already been adulterated, ensuring the number of units supplied matched the pharmaceutical company’s order.

Investigators further allege that the genuine plasma removed from consignments was also adulterated before being sold to two blood banks in Maharashtra, allowing the accused to increase the quantity and maximise profits.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Om Prakash Jat said four people had so far been arrested in the case, and further interrogation had revealed that the accused adulterated not only the replacement plasma but also the genuine plasma they had stolen.

“After replacing the genuine plasma with fake plasma and stealing the original plasma, they also adulterated the original plasma. After adulterating it, the plasma was sent to two blood banks in Maharashtra. These are Washim Blood Bank and Jalna Blood Bank. We have apprehended the owners of both these blood banks,” Jat said.

He added that investigators were examining whether any of the plasma had been transfused directly into patients or supplied onward to other blood banks.

“If further interrogation reveals that this plasma was directly transfused into any patient or supplied to any other blood bank, that aspect is also under investigation. If the investigation establishes that any patient died or fell ill because of this, appropriate additional sections will be added to the case, and more accused will be named,” he said.

Referring to the laboratory findings, Jat said the report from B.J. Medical College showed that the plasma the accused sold as genuine was also contaminated.

“It contained contamination, and the plasma could not be directly transfused into any human being. It had neither therapeutic effectiveness nor maintained the required hygiene standards,” he said.

Police said investigations were continuing into the role of several blood banks in Maharashtra.

According to the Special Operations Group (SOG), the accused supplied plasma to blood banks in Washim and Jalna, while verification and questioning are also under way at Ahmednagar Blood Bank in Ahmednagar, Jeevanjyot Blood Bank in Dhule, Sanjivani Blood Bank in Nashik, Dhanvantari Blood Bank in Bhusawal and Lions Blood Bank in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Investigators are examining the suspected involvement of operators at these facilities. Jat said police were coordinating with the Health Department, the Food and Drugs Department, laboratories and the Gujarat State Council for Blood Transfusion.

Investigators have obtained the standard operating procedures governing blood banks and are examining whether prescribed protocols were followed.

“If we find that the prescribed procedures were not followed at any stage, we will submit a detailed report to all the concerned departments so that they can take an informed decision. If any changes to the SOPs are required in the future, our ongoing investigation will also assist in that process,” he said.

The investigation is also examining the regulatory framework governing blood banks, including qualification requirements, licensing procedures, and the legal provisions governing the purchase and sale of blood plasma between blood banks and pharmaceutical companies.

Police said the findings would help identify regulatory loopholes allegedly exploited by the accused and assist in preparing recommendations to prevent similar offences.

Jat said the Gujarat Health Department had been proactive since the case came to light, with inspections of blood banks across the state under way to identify any irregularities.

Police maintained that, so far, the investigation had not found any evidence that adulterated plasma had been supplied to any hospital or blood bank in Gujarat.

The case was uncovered by the SOG of Ahmedabad Rural Police following intelligence inputs that led investigators to a racket allegedly adulterating blood plasma intended for a pharmaceutical company in Changodar.

Police allege that Dinesh Chaudhary, a former blood plasma collection executive with pharmaceutical firms, used his technical knowledge to orchestrate the operation with transport personnel Jitendra Solanki and Rafik Khalifa, who allegedly diverted plasma consignments before delivery.

Investigators say genuine plasma collected from blood banks in Maharashtra was removed from consignments and replaced with adulterated plasma before the consignments reached the pharmaceutical company.

A fourth accused, Mohan Dajiba Gaikwad of Maharashtra, was later arrested as the investigation expanded.

A case has been registered at Changodar Police Station under Sections 316(3), 338(2), 125, 276, 328(4) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

During the operation, police seized 1,140 blood plasma units, a deep freezer, chemical bottles, a sealing machine, empty plasma bags and a pick-up vehicle allegedly used in the crime.

–IANS

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