CBI Court sentenced Pharma Firm Partner to 2 Years Jail for Forgery and Cheating in NRHM Scheme

On July 29, 2025, the CBI Court in Ghaziabad convicted and sentenced Shri Gangaram, partner of M/s Pankaj Pharma, Lucknow, to two years of imprisonment along with a fine of ₹5 lakh. The conviction is related to charges of forgery and cheating in the execution of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) Scheme in Uttar Pradesh.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered the case back on July 11, 2013, to investigate irregularities in the implementation of the NRHM Scheme during the period 2005–2011. The NRHM scheme had come under scrutiny for misuse of government funds and manipulation of procurement processes.

During the course of investigation, it was found that in the year 2008–09, Shri Gangaram fraudulently acquired seven indents (purchase orders) meant specifically for government-authorized pharmaceutical firms. In collusion with the then pharmacist, Late J.P. Srivastava, he submitted seven forged authorization letters falsely claiming that his firm, M/s Pankaj Pharma, was an authorized dealer.

Using these forged documents, Gangaram managed to supply medicines to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) in Balrampur and received payment amounting to ₹5,00,847 from government funds. Though the medicines were indeed delivered, the entire transaction was carried out by impersonating authorized suppliers, thus constituting a clear case of forgery and cheating.

The investigation confirmed that the authorization letters used were fake and that the actual rate-contract firms had no involvement in the supply of medicines in this case.

Following the investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Shri Gangaram on June 30, 2015. After years of legal proceedings, the court found him guilty of cheating and forgery involving public funds under the NRHM Scheme.

The CBI Court sentenced him to two years in prison and imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh.