Delhi Fake Pharmacy Licensing Racket Busted: 47 Arrested Including Ex-DPC Registrar Kuldeep Singh

The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi has uncovered a large-scale fake pharmacy licensing racket, resulting in the arrest of 47 suspects, including former Delhi Pharmacy Council (DPC) registrar Kuldeep Singh, a clerk, brokers, and ineligible pharmacists. The arrests were made on Wednesday, April 3, 2025, following an extensive investigation into the fraud.

The ACB began its probe in January 2024 after receiving a complaint from the Health and Family Welfare Department. Following a detailed preliminary inquiry, the ACB sought approval from the Directorate of Vigilance to prosecute Singh under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the ACB, the racket was masterminded by Kuldeep Singh, who allegedly conspired with a private firm, VMC, to manipulate the registration process. The firm was hired without a legal tendering process, allowing applicants to submit bogus diplomas and certificates that were allegedly verified by staff at fraudulent pharmacy institutes.

“The scam was facilitated through a dubious private firm. Investigation suggests a large number of pharmacists and chemists in Delhi are operating businesses based on fake registrations—some individuals have not even completed matriculation,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (ACB) Madhur Verma.

How Bribes Were Funneled
Illegal payments were channeled through intermediaries via coordination between DPC officials and various diploma colleges, allowing unqualified individuals to register as pharmacists. The certificates were falsely verified by corrupt employees within pharmacy institutes.

Some applicants even submitted multiple sets of documents for various registrations, all of which were approved without scrutiny. In several cases, false verification emails were sent from fabricated addresses to validate counterfeit credentials.

Dr. Munish Raizada, MD, FAAP, posted on his social media account regarding this matter.

He said, "Fake registration scam in Delhi Pharmacy Council discovered- culprit Kuldeep Singh - ex Registrar- nabbed. Authorities discovered that Kuldeep Singh continued approving registrations through his personal email even after leaving office on Aug 16, 2023."

False Registration Surge to 4,900 in Three-Year Span
Between 2020 and 2023, Singh unethically approved approximately 4,900 pharmacy registrations. Shockingly, he continued processing applications through his personal email even after resigning on August 16, 2023. Before his final suspension on September 25, 2023, he had illegally approved 232 additional applications.

In total, Singh approved 4,928 pharmacist registrations during his tenure from March 17, 2020, to September 25, 2023.

According to the ACB’s statement, 47 people have been arrested so far, including six brokers, a printing shop owner, three employees from pharmacy colleges, and 35 individuals operating as illegal pharmacists or chemists. One of them, Neeraj, a printing shop owner from Shahabad, Delhi, was identified as the supplier of fake certificates.

Authorities have recovered forged documents and digital evidence.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Dr. Anjaly KTK/MSM)