The drug controlling authority in Chhattisgarh on Thursday raided and sealed a unit of an antibiotic manufacturing company, whose product was used in sterilisation camps in Bilaspur district where 13 women died and several others fell ill.

“A raid was conducted at the drug manufacturing unit of Mahawar Pharma Pvt Ltd this morning and after collecting samples of medicines from there it was sealed,” Food and Drug Administration Controller Ravi Prakash Gupta said.

“We have suspended sale and supply of products of the company across the state and directives have been issued to chemists and drug suppliers in this connection,” Gupta said.

During the raid, a significant quantity of drugs were found burnt at the premises of Mahawar Pharma and a detailed report in this connection will be given to higher authorities, official sources in the drugs control department said.

Notably, Chhattisgarh government has already suspended the sale of six drugs used in tubectomies at separate government-organised sterilisation camps in Bilaspur district which claimed the lives of 13 women and left nearly 100 ill.

These drugs are -- tablets Ibrufen-400, tablets Ciprocin-500, injection Lignocaine and Lignocaine HCL, absorbent cotton wool and Zielone lotion.

“The samples of the medicines used in sterilisation surgeries will be sent to the Central Drugs Testing Laboratory Kolkata, as we suspect them to be sub-standard,” a senior government official said.