A special narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances cell has made an important arrest in Aurangabad, catching a pharmacist while he was allegedly selling scheduled prescription drugs without prescription to a criminal on record.

Authorities said this is the first case in the region, wherein a pharmacist has been arrested red-handed while selling the scheduled drugs without prescription to a suspect on police record.

Police commissioner Nikhil Gupta told TOI, “Our special NDPS cell nabbed the pharmacist – identified as Shivprasad Changhate – red-hand while selling scheduled drugs to Tarasingh Tak, a criminal on police record who was released on bail last week.” He said the third suspect has been identified as Mahesh Unawne, who is an employee of a pharmaceutical agency.

Police claimed that he was the key person who obtained the scheduled drugs from agencies and allegedly sold them illegally to the pharmacist. The pharmacist was allegedly selling the drugs without prescriptions to addicts and drug peddlers, the police said.