Pune (Odisha Tazanews) Pune :-> A shocking case of drug theft has come to light in Aundh District Hospital (ADH). Swapnil Chavan, a class 4 employee, has been suspended with immediate effect on charges of stealing as many as 20 vials of mephentermine sulphate from the hospital’s pharmacy department. Officials said that he confessed to the theft during interrogation.
According to District Civil Surgeon Dr. Nagnath Yemple, the theft came to light due to discrepancies in the drug records. Last week, while checking expired drugs, a major discrepancy was found in the pharmacy’s register. During internal investigation, Chavan’s suspicion increased and during further interrogation, he admitted to stealing 20 vials.
Mephentermine sulphate is a ‘Schedule H’ drug and its sale without a prescription is prohibited. Since this drug is a stimulant that increases the efficiency of the heart, it has been misused in many cases in the past. Officials also say that there is a huge demand for this drug in the black market. Earlier,
Pune police have arrested gym trainers and young businessmen in connection with the illegal sale of such drugs. During the suspension period, Swapnil Chavan has been assigned headquarters at Rural Hospital, Alandi. This suspension order was issued on November 10, 2025 under the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979.
Urgent audit order to all hospitals in the district After this incident, the District Health Department has ordered a district-wide inspection of the stock of medicines and equipment in all government hospitals. It has been made mandatory for each hospital to submit a physical stock inspection report on November 18 and 19.
Dr. Yemple informed that strict action will be taken against the concerned if any irregularities, negligence or discrepancies in the stock are found during the audit. This incident has raised serious questions on the management of medicine stocks in government hospitals and a large-scale investigation is being conducted soon.
