Metropolitan Police Range Office Kathmandu arrested four persons from two pharmaceutical companies in Kathmandu on the charge of selling medicines at prices higher than government-fixed rates. After receiving complaints that they were involved in black-marketing of the pharmaceutical drugs, the police arrested Prabal Jung Pandey, 41 and Prajwal Jung Pandey, 39, of Kathmandu. The two brothers are the proprietors of Gairighara-based Lomus Pharmaceutical and are the sons of former President of FNCCI, Pradip Jung Pandey. Police had arrested them from the company's office in Lazimpat after carrying out raids in the company's warehouse. The two other arrested are the senior officers of Deurali Janata Pharmaceuticals in Hattisar. The arrested have been identified as General Manager Nil Raj Acharya, 53, of Sindhuli and Manager Nigam Adhikari, 48, of Kathmandu. The police had carried out surprise raids at the warehouses of the pharmaceutical companies as per the instructions of the Kathmandu District Administration Office. "The rates of the medicines sold by the companies did not comply with the rates fixed by the government," SP Pradyumna Kumar Karki, spokesperson of the Police Range, said. They were found charging Rs 20-25 more than the government-fixed rates, which came into effect about six months ago.

The list of medicines they were selling at inflated rates includes Cefpodoxime 200 mg, Azithromycin 500 mg, Cefixime 200mg, Ofloxacin 400mg, Omeprazole 20mg. The warehouses of the companies were sealed after the raids. Pvt sector condemns govt's raid on pharmaceutical companies Meanwhile, the private sector has condemned the government for Friday's raid on pharmaceutical companies. Issuing a joint press statement, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) criticized the raid and said that such activities will trouble domestic industries that are slowly reviving after being hit by five-month Indian blockade. "Such activities from the government has been giving mental terror to domestic industries," the joint press statement reads, adding, "Raiding the companies and arresting their staff without seeking clarification from them don't fall under any principle of social justice."