Man seeking MM drug cheated of Rs 6 lakh in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: A man from Palanpur in Banaskantha district on Wednesday filed a complaint with Naranpura police alleging that he was cheated of Rs 6 lakh by a man when he was struggling to get liposomal amphotericin B injections for his father, who has mucormycosis (MM).
Praveer Gupta, 30, a resident of the College Compound area in Palanpur, said his father got infected with Covid on April 22 and was admitted to Palanpur Civil Hospital for around five days.
After being discharged, he had a severe and constant headache. On May 5, he was first admitted to a private hospital in Palanpur and was diagnosed with mucormycosis.
From the Palanpur hospital, he was shifted to the Asarwa Civil Hospital in the city on May 14 and then to a private hospital in Naroda on May 16, where he was operated on.
As doctors advised Gupta to arrange for liposomal amphotericin B injections, Gupta began inquiries with friends and relatives.
Gupta said one of his friends, Arun Raval, a resident of Vastral, told him that one Jitu Bharwad could arrange for the injections but would charge a hefty sum.
With the reference of a doctor based in Vatva, Gupta contacted Bharwad who told him to pay Rs 6 lakh for 50 injections, to which he agreed. On the instructions of Bharwad, Gupta went to Ankur Crossroads on May 23 to get the injections.
Gupta said Bharwad had taken Rs 5.80 lakh from him and was to take Rs 20,000 later. When Gupta demanded the injections, Bharwad told him to wait a while, promising that he would return with the injections.
Though Gupta waited there for around four hours, he did not return and calls to him went unanswered.
After this, Gupta approached Naranpura police and filed a complaint of cheating and breach of trust along with offences under the Essential Commodities Act against Bharwad.