Who is Deepak Gahlawat? Haryana IPS Officer Arrested by CBI in Bribery Case Linked to ₹5,000-Crore Puducherry Fake Medicine Scam

DEEPAK GAHLAWAT, an officer in the Indian Police Service (IPS), was arrested by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹1 crore in the Puducherry counterfeit medicine racket. Earlier two other accused were arrested, including a Delhi police inspector and the prime accused N Raja alias Valliappan alias Rajasekhar.

IPS Gahlawat had allegedly told Raja that he could offer relief in the CBI investigation  through his 'connections' in the agency. The fake medicine racket in Puducherry was allegedly worth ₹5,000 crore, out of which Gahlawat asked for a ₹3-crore bribe from Raja. According to investigators, a transaction of ₹1 crore was already completed between the two. A Delhi Court on July 1 reprimanded the CBI’s investigation, asking why Gahlawat’s ‘connections’ in the agency weren’t probed further.

Special Judge Sushant Changotra of Rouse Avenue Court said, “Are you trying to mislead the court? Of course you are. Why didn’t you ask him? He’s joined investigation four times. He has been with you for 24 hours… Is there any explanation why you didn’t ask about who (which CBI officers) had to be influenced.”

The court questioned the investigating officer (IO) saying that “no effort has been made in the investigation” to check who were the public servants influenced or approached by Gahlawat in the racket. Justice Changotra added, “The IO made no endeavour to ascertain as to whether such a person existed or the identity of this public servant. The conduct of the IO in this respect and the responses given by him today are totally unfathomable.”

Who is IPS Deepak Gahlawat?

Deepak Gahlawat, born on September 30, 1988, is a 2012-batch IPS officer of the Haryana cadre. He is officially a resident of Nijampur Marja village in Sonipat district, while his family resides in Rohtak, Haryana. 

His father, Kulbir Singh, is also a retired Inspector in Haryana Police, and his mother served as an Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) at PGIMS Rohtak. He completed his schooling from Rohtak and later earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering from IIT Roorkee. Gahlawat joined the Indian Police Service in September 2013. His wife, Seema Dhankar, is also a government official at Indian Revenue Service (IRS).

Over 14 years of service, Gahlawat held various policing and administrative positions. He served as Superintendent of Police (SP) of Palwal in 2018, SP of Charkha Dadri in 2021, and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) at (Headquarters) Gurugram. In 2024, he served as Regional Director in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). At the time of his arrest, Gahlawat was working as Joint Director/Regional Director in the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

See Also: Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch Arrests Ex-DGHS Vatsala Aggarwal Over Alleged Multi Crores-Worth Medical Procurement Scam Case

Details of the ₹5,000-Crore Puducherry Counterfeit Medicine Scam

The Puducherry case traces back to what investigators have described as one of India's biggest counterfeit medicine rackets. The scam came into light in 2025 after raids by the Puducherry Police uncovered a massive network allegedly involved in manufacturing and supplying fake medicines across the country. During the searches, authorities seized counterfeit drugs, raw materials, fake packaging, and huge quantities of spurious medicines that looked like products of well-known pharmaceutical brands. During the investigation, the Officials have estimated the value of the racket at nearly ₹5,000 crore.

The main accused in the case is N. Raja, who is also known by the names Valliappan and Rajasekhar. According to investigators, he allegedly operated the fake medicine network from Puducherry and supplied substandard and counterfeit drugs to different parts of India. The probe also pointed towards the alleged involvement of several politicians and influential persons, following which the investigation was handed over to the CBI in early 2026. The central agency later registered a fresh FIR in March to widen the investigation.

The case took another dramatic turn in June 2026 when the CBI arrested a Delhi Police inspector and some others for allegedly taking bribes to influence the investigation. During the probe, the agency alleged that Haryana-cadre IPS officer Deepak Gahlawat demanded ₹3 crore bribe from Raja by claiming he could use his contacts inside the CBI to get him relief in the case. According to the agency, ₹1 crore was already paid to him.

The investigation has since exposed not just a massive fake drug network but also alleged corruption linked to the probe itself. The CBI is now investigating the larger conspiracy, the money trail and the role of public servants who may have helped the accused.

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