Two nabbed for selling post-expiry date remdesivir

Surat: The investigation of the case involving sale of post-expiry date remdesivir injections revealed that the accused Divyesh Patel destroyed two vials by throwing it into dustbin. He also revealed the name of third accomplice to crime branch sleuths during the first day of interrogation after he was remanded to police custody on Friday till April 26.
Police produced another accused Vishal Awasthi in court on Saturday and he was remanded to police custody till April 27. Patel further confessed that a person named Gaurang used to bring buyers of remdesivir to him. The case was transferred to the crime branch on Friday.
Police informed that Awasthi runs a medical store in K P Sanghvi Hospital. He is in-charge of purchase and distribution of the medicines. He provided the six vials of Remdesivir to Patel. The injections had expired in 2020 but considering its high demand, Awasthi planned to make quick money by selling the expired stock.
“Patel earlier worked as a deliveryman in his brother-in-law’s pharmaceutical distributor firm. He came in touch with Awasthi during that period,” said a crime branch officer.
“It is not yet clear if the vials contain water,” said a police official. The vials will be sent to the forensic science laboratory for verification.
After collecting the injections from Awasthi, Patel changed the expiry date on the carton containing the injection, but the original dates were mentioned on the vial. Patel sold six vials, charging Rs 7,000 for each, to Jignesh Malani. Later, Malani realized that the injections had already expired and he contacted Patel over the phone and demanded his money back.
Patel agreed and returned the money through Google Pay. When he went to collect the injection vials, Malani nabbed him handed him over to the cops and filed a complaint at Sarthana police station.