Covid vaccine fraud: Third FIR filed in Mumbai, accused booked for selling adulterated drugs

MUMBAI: Three separate first information reports (FIRs) have been registered against people, including an ex-employee of a hospital, who were involved in the fake vaccine drive that was organised under an event management company.
The latest case was registered with the Khar police station on Monday against Rajesh Pandey, Sanjay Gupta and four others for collecting Rs2.48 lakhs for vaccinating 206 staffers and their families of Tips Industries. The accused are also booked at police stations in Kandivli and Versova.
The 206 staffers and their family members were vaccinated on June 3. "In this case too, the accused has followed the similar modus operandi that was noticed in Kandivli housing society fraud. It is yet unclear whether the vaccine administered to the 206 staffers of Tips was genuine or fake," said Khar police senior inspector Gajanan Kabdule.
Tips Industries got details about Pandey from the victims in the Versova case who are known to them. Accordingly, they got in touch with Pandey and booked the vaccine drive for its staffs. "We are collecting information whether 206 people had registered online for the vaccine or not. Meanwhile, all those administered with the vaccine did not receive the certificate which led them to file the complaint," said the police.
The accused has been booked under the Indian Penal Code sections 34 (common intention), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 268 (public nuisance), 270 (malignant act), 274 (Adulteration of drugs), 275 (Sale of adulterated drugs) and 276 (Sale of drug as a different drug or preparation). Versova police will take custody of the arrested accused from their counterparts at Kandivli and later will be handed over to the Khar police.