Delhi HC Shields Vicky Ramancha from Coercive Action in USD $18 Million Ozempic Scam
The Delhi High Court has granted protection from coercive action to businessman Vicky Ramancha, accused of duping US-based Assure Global LLC of USD 18.8 million through the supply of counterfeit doses of the anti-diabetic drug Ozempic.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna ordered, “It is hereby directed that till the next date of hearing, no coercive action be taken against the petitioner.”
Counsel for Ramancha submitted that he would appear before the Investigating Officer on August 25, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. for questioning. The High Court accordingly directed him to join the investigation and listed the matter for September 22, 2025.
This is the second time Ramancha has approached the court seeking anticipatory bail in an FIR registered under Sections 406, 420, and 120-B IPC with the Economic Offences Wing, New Delhi. He had previously filed a similar plea before the High Court but later withdrew it.
On August 13, a Delhi court had denied anticipatory bail to Ramancha, holding that the case involves serious allegations of international fraud and supply of spurious drugs, along with complex questions of fact and law regarding territorial jurisdiction.
In its order, ASJ Saurabh Partap Singh Laler of Patiala House Courts observed,“The discretionary remedy of anticipatory bail cannot be granted in circumstances where allegations involve grave offences against public health and safety, international ramifications threaten India’s pharmaceutical industry, the investigation requires custodial interrogation and international cooperation, and grant of bail would undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system.”
The trial court had accordingly dismissed the application, noting that jurisdictional complexities and mixed questions of fact and law required a comprehensive investigation, which could not be conclusively determined at this preliminary stage.
“The extraordinary remedy of anticipatory bail is inappropriate given the gravity of allegations, flight risk, and potential for evidence tampering,” the court had held.
However, the trial court made it clear that merely because the anticipatory bail had been dismissed, it does not mean that the accused must be arrested. The investigating agency shall exercise the power of arrest only as a last resort and strictly for the purposes of investigation, the court said, adding that the IO is directed to comply with all relevant legal provisions and precedents in this regard, with specific reference to Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar, (2014) 8 SCC 273, and Satender Kumar Antil v. CBI, (2021) 10 SCC 773.
Ramancha stands accused of running a sophisticated transnational fraud operation that allegedly caused financial losses exceeding USD 18.8 million to Assure Global LLC.
It is alleged that he created fraudulent certificates of origin and trade documentation to build credibility, initially making partial deliveries to win trust before escalating to larger fraudulent transactions.
The scheme involved inducing the complainant company to pay USD 18,834,382 for pharmaceutical consignments, then supplying counterfeit Ozempic drugs, which were subsequently seized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). False documentation was allegedly produced to depict a legitimate pharmaceutical supply chain, and notarised documents from Patiala House Courts were used to lend legitimacy to fraudulent agreements.
Case Title: Vicky Ramancha vs State of NCT of Delhi
Order Date: 19 August 2025
Bench: Justice Neena Bansal Krishna