Clean chit to BV Srinivas, 8 others in hoarding case

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police have prima facie found no evidence against nine people — including B V Srinivas, the president of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) — who were probed for allegedly hoarding and black marketing Covid-19 medical supplies, according to a status report filed before the Delhi high court on Saturday.

The report said the nine people were “actually helping people” and “did not defraud” anyone. To be sure, the nine are still being probed and the clean chit is only on the basis of preliminary findings. HT has seen a copy of the report.

The investigating officer, who questioned Srinivas, BJP leaders Gautam Gambhir, Harish Khurana

and Aam Aadmi Party(aap) leader Dilip Pandey, among others, has sought six weeks to conduct a “detailed investigation”.

The high court will hear the matter on Monday.

In the status report, police have attached the statements of the nine persons who were interrogated. On May 4, the Delhi high court had asked police to conduct an investigation after a writ petition was filed by a Delhi resident accusing the politicians mentioned above of procuring crucial Covid-19 medicines and supplies, hoarding them, and distributing them while citizens did not have access to them.

The police’s visit to the IYC headquarters and questioning Srinivas had kicked up a storm on social media. Many accused Delhi police of harassing those who are actually helping in delivering medicines, oxygen cylinders, or finding beds at hospitals at a time when people are struggling to get these resources.

Officials aware of the police’s preliminary findings said all the alleged accused persons denied taking money from the person they helped.

For instance, former Congress MLA Mukesh Sharma said in his statement that he used social media to give people information about the medical stores available in his area but denied buying a single strip of medicine.

BJP MP from East Delhi, Gautam Gambhir, too denied the allegations. He said the Gautam Gambhir Foundation had organised a free medical camp between April 22 and May 7 to provide assistance to people suffering from Covid-19. In his statement, Gambhir mentioned that the camp was organised by a doctor, who had volunteered his services. HT is withholding the name of the doctor as he has not been questioned by the police or named in the complaint.

Gambhir said, “A total of 2,628 strips of Fabiflu were purchased from authorised vendors against the prescription of Dr……..it is stated that while payments were made by Gautam Gambhir Foundation, however, the aforesaid medicine was delivered by respective vendors directly to Dr….”

Srinivas, in his statement, said that the enquiry against him and other members of the IYC was harassment because he and some of his colleagues have been at the forefront of providing relief.

He also mentioned that he was harassed because their party (Congress) had opposed the Centre’s handling of the Covid crisis. The IYC president said he, along with other volunteers, connect people in need with the appropriate resources. He also said they “receive oxygen equipment as donations and provide it free of cost to the people.”

Former Rajya Sabha MP Shahid Siddiqui, who was questioned on how he got two remdesivir injection vials from Congress

general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, told police that his SOS request on social media was considered by Priyanka, who provided two doses of the medicines, which were procured for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi but were not used.

Siddiqui had criticised police for probing how people were receiving help amid the crisis instead of focusing on other important cases.

On Friday, Delhi police said they were probing the case and enquiring the role of those who were helping Covid-19 patients and their families only on the orders of the high court.

Last week, the HC dismissed a plea against AAP MLA Imran Hussain when the Delhi government submitted that he was not drawing it from state quota and distributing it for free..

THE DELHI POLICE REPORT SAID THE NINE PEOPLE WERE ‘ACTUALLY HELPING PEOPLE’ AND ‘DID NOT DEFRAUD’ ANYONE