Gujarat fake plasma racket: 7 arrested as probe spans five states
Synopsis
A fake blood plasma racket centred in Ahmedabad has grown into a five-state investigation, with seven arrests so far and roughly 1,700 adulterated plasma bags uncovered. A former plasma collection executive allegedly exploited insider logistics knowledge to swap genuine plasma with unusable material — and the supply chain reportedly reached pharmaceutical companies as far as Bengaluru.
Key Takeaways
Ahmedabad Rural Police arrested three more accused on 9 July , taking total arrests in the fake plasma case to seven .
The newly arrested are Ajit Solanki of Bavla, Ahmedabad, and blood bank operators Prakash Sangale and Ashok Sangale of Washim district, Maharashtra .
Investigators have uncovered approximately 1,700 adulterated plasma bags , each allegedly sold for around ₹5,000 .
Across three consignments, around 275 plasma bags were allegedly removed and replaced with adulterated material.
Police say there is no evidence so far that adulterated plasma reached hospitals or was used on patients — it was supplied to pharmaceutical companies.
The probe has expanded to five states : Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.
The Ahmedabad Rural Police on Thursday, 9 July arrested three more individuals in connection with an alleged fake blood plasma racket, bringing the total number of arrests to seven. Investigators have now expanded the probe across five states — Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh — after tracing adulterated plasma through an interstate supply chain that allegedly fed pharmaceutical companies.
The Latest Arrests
The three newly arrested individuals are Ajit Solanki, 33, a resident of Bavla in Ahmedabad district, and Prakash Sangale and Ashok Sangale, who allegedly operated blood banks in Washim district, Maharashtra. According to the Special Operations Group (SOG), all three were allegedly involved in transporting, receiving, and distributing adulterated plasma that had been substituted for genuine plasma destined for pharmaceutical companies.
How the Racket Allegedly Worked
The case first surfaced last month after a pharmaceutical company based in Changodar filed a complaint alleging that plasma consignments collected from blood banks had been tampered with before delivery. Investigators subsequently arrested the alleged mastermind, Dinesh Chaudhary, a former plasma collection executive, along with Jitendra Solanki, Rafik Khalifa, and Mohan Gaikwad.
Authorities allege that Chaudhary exploited his knowledge of plasma collection and logistics to swap genuine plasma with adulterated material before consignments reached the pharmaceutical company. Gaikwad allegedly sourced unusable plasma through a blood bank in Maharashtra, which was then used as the substitute material.
According to the SOG, Ajit Solanki transported plasma consignments from Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh using the complainant company's own pickup vehicle, valued at approximately ₹2.50 lakh — which has since been seized. He allegedly supplied 12 boxes of plasma to Chaudhary during March and April, before the consignments reached their intended destination.
The Sangale brothers allegedly facilitated the onward movement of the substituted plasma to another pharmaceutical company in Bengaluru. Investigations into that company are continuing.
Scale of the Alleged Fraud
Ahmedabad (Rural) Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Jat stated that from every plasma consignment, approximately 100 plasma bags were stolen. Across three consignments, around 275 plasma bags were allegedly removed and replaced with adulterated material. So far, investigators have uncovered approximately 1,700 adulterated plasma bags, with each bag reportedly sold for around ₹5,000. Jat noted that the figure could rise as the probe progresses and more associates are identified.
Notably, police have stated that no evidence has emerged so far indicating that the adulterated plasma was supplied directly to hospitals or administered to patients. 'Our investigation has found no evidence so far that the adulterated plasma was sold directly to hospitals for use on patients. It was supplied directly to pharmaceutical companies,' Jat said, adding that legal action would follow if any company personnel were found complicit.
Lab Findings and Evidence Destroyed
The 1,140 units of blood plasma seized from Chaudhary's residence were examined by the Department of Pathology at B.J. Medical College, which concluded the plasma was adulterated and unfit for both human use and pharmaceutical processing. Following permission from the local court, the seized plasma was destroyed in the presence of police officials, representatives of the Food and Drugs Department, and B.J. Medical College, with disposal carried out by an authorised biomedical waste management agency.
Earlier seizures also included a deep freezer, chemicals, sealing equipment, and other material allegedly used to prepare and package the adulterated plasma. 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.
What Investigators Are Doing Next
The SOG said teams have already verified several blood banks in Maharashtra without finding suspicious activity beyond the two linked to the arrested operators. Police teams will now extend inquiries to blood banks in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh, while continuing to probe the Bengaluru-based pharmaceutical company. Jat said investigators are working to establish the complete supply chain, identify all recipients, and trace all financial transactions linked to the racket.
Point of View
700 adulterated bags identified and the number potentially rising, the case raises questions about whether India's drug regulatory framework has adequate real-time tracking for plasma consignments. The absence of patient harm so far is reassuring, but the reach of this network into Bengaluru's pharmaceutical supply suggests the investigation is far from over.
NationPress
9 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Gujarat fake plasma racket case?
It is an alleged interstate fraud in which genuine blood plasma collected from blood banks was replaced with adulterated, unusable material before being supplied to pharmaceutical companies. The case was first reported by a Changodar-based pharmaceutical company and has so far led to seven arrests across Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Who are the key accused in the fake plasma case?
The alleged mastermind is Dinesh Chaudhary , a former plasma collection executive, who is accused of using insider knowledge to swap genuine plasma with adulterated material. Other arrested individuals include Jitendra Solanki , Rafik Khalifa , Mohan Gaikwad , Ajit Solanki , and blood bank operators Prakash Sangale and Ashok Sangale .
Was the adulterated plasma used on hospital patients?
Police say there is no evidence so far that the adulterated plasma was supplied directly to hospitals or used on patients. According to Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Jat , it was supplied to pharmaceutical companies, not hospitals.
How many adulterated plasma bags have been found?
Investigators have so far uncovered approximately 1,700 adulterated plasma bags , each allegedly sold for around ₹5,000 . Police say the figure could increase as the probe expands and more associates are identified.
Which states are now under investigation in the plasma racket case?
The probe has expanded to Maharashtra , Karnataka , Rajasthan , Chhattisgarh , and Madhya Pradesh . Police teams are verifying blood banks in these states and are also investigating a Bengaluru-based pharmaceutical company that allegedly purchased substituted plasma.
