The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has taken Former Health Ministry Secretary, Janaka Chandraguptha, into custody over his alleged involvement in the importation of substandard Immunoglobulin, a case that has sent shockwaves through the healthcare sector. Chandraguptha's arrest comes in the wake of an ongoing investigation into a scandal revolving around substandard vials of human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).

The CID's move follows the recent detention of the owner of the company responsible for importing the controversial batch of IVIG vials. The investigation revealed that the detained company owner is accused of utilizing forged documents to import the substandard medicines. Subsequently, the court has imposed travel bans on the owner and two other high-ranking government officials allegedly connected to the fraudulent activity.

The scandal has prompted a temporary halt to the utilization of the controversial batch of IVIG as authorities intensify efforts to uncover the extent of the substandard drugs' distribution and impact on public health. The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) confirmed filing a complaint with the CID in response to the incident.

The NMRA, in its inquiry, discovered that the India-based manufacturer of the IVIG in question had ceased production of the medicine. Furthermore, the regulatory authority emphasized that the medicine had been imported and used in the country without obtaining its approval, raising concerns about the lax oversight that allowed the substandard product to enter the market.