About 200 pharmacy students in Andhra Pradesh are running from pillar to post to get back their passbooks, which have been held back by former Andhra Pradesh Pharmacy Council of India (APPCI) president Annapa Reddy.  The students had deposited their passbooks for renewing their registrations. Earlier the Andhra Pradesh High Court had ruled against the election of Annapa Reddy as president of the council in the state as he was elected against the rules of pharmacy council.

According to sources in APPCI, the ex-president had locked his room and had not even deposited official documents and has taken passbooks of about 200 candidates along with him. As per information given by K V S N Gupta, about 200 candidates are regularly visiting the Andhra Pradesh pharmacy council to secure their passbooks which they have deposited with the earlier president Annapa Vijayabhasker Reddy.

“Many students are approaching us for getting back their passbooks which were submitted to the earlier president. Since the passbooks are not in our possession we are helpless and could not issue any duplicate passbooks unless the candidates file a formal FIR (first information report). The earlier president had resorted to many irregularities. He has neither returned the books to the candidates nor has he deposited the same with us. So we are helpless to resolve this issue. I suggest those candidates to go to the police and book an FIR based on this we can do something,” Gupta said.

It is believed that all these candidates whose passbooks have been confiscated were harassed by the earlier president as he had demanded money from them for renewing their registrations, informed sources.

Though the candidates have been suggested to approach the police, none has filed a complaint with the police so far.

When asked whether there is a chance for these people to get a duplicate copy of their passbooks and certificates, Gupta said, “For getting the duplicate passbooks the candidates must submit a police FIR along with their duplicate certificates, only then we can give them a duplicate registration book.”