Two arrested in Faridabad for black marketing of Remdesivir

Faridabad Police has arrested two people, including a man employed in “pharmacy marketing”, in two separate incidents in connection with alleged black marketing of Remdesivir, which is in high demand in the country amidst the second Covid wave.

Both the accused, officials said, had purchased the injections from people who were employed at different private hospitals in the city, and were looking to sell them at a higher price.

According to police, the accused have been identified as Devendra, alias Dev, who was arrested from a market in Ballabgarh, and Himanshu, who was arrested from Budh colony. While six injections were seized from the former, three were seized from the latter.

“During questioning, accused Devendra revealed that he worked in pharmacy marketing and had purchased 10 injections for Rs 80,000 from a friend, Dhanraj, who works at a private hospital in Sector 10. He had then sold four of the injections to a friend, Meher Chand, in Agra, and was looking to sell the others when he was arrested,” said Sube Singh, PRO of Faridabad Police.

Officials said the other accused, Himanshu, meanwhile, is training to be an accountant and had bought the injections from an employee at another private hospital in the district.

“He was also looking for buyers who would purchase the injections at a higher price but was arrested by police. FIRs have been registered against both the accused under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, at the City Police Station, Ballabgarh,” said PRO Singh.

“Both the accused have been produced in court and taken in police remand during which they will be further questioned regarding the case, and the people at the two hospitals who supplied them with the injections will also be arrested,” he said.