Hisar addl sessions judge sets aside bail to three accused

CHANDIGARH: Setting aside two orders of the Hisar chief judicial magistrate (CJM) granting bail to three persons accused of black marketing of remdesivir, administered to hospitalised Covid-19 patients, Hisar additional sessions judge (ASJ) Ved Parkash Sirohi has said that perpetrators of such crime deserve no sympathy of the court.

In his May 31 order on a criminal revision petition filed by the Hisar police, the ASJ said while the Supreme Court has directed the government to take immediate steps to stop black marketing of remdesivir injections, the CJM has released three accused, who were caught red-handed selling remdesivir at exorbitant prices, on bail within 3-5 days.

“Black-marketers of Covid medicines, especially remdesivir, have no pity on patients and their relatives. They exploited the situation at the cost of lives of patients. They hoarded lifesaving drugs and sold them at exorbitant rates taking undue advantage of the serious condition of poor patients,” the court said. “The perpetrators of such crime deserved no sympathy of the court. In cases where the offence is so heinous, the grant of bail by the CJM cannot be said to be justified from any angle,” the court order added. “The CJM’s May 5 and 11 orders granting bail to accused Arun Khurana, owner of Holy Hospital Medical Store, Hisar; and Parth Khurana and Mukesh Malik of National Medical Hall of Nagori Gate, Hisar, suffered from illegality, irregularity and perversity and are set aside,” the ASJ said.

As per court orders, Arun and Parth were allegedly caught redhanded selling remdesivir injections (100mg/vial) for Rs 40,000 while its maximum retail price is just Rs 3,400. Two more remdesivir injections were recovered from Parth’s car and four from the possession of Mukesh Malik.

Malik was arrested on the basis of disclosure statement by Parth to the police during investigation. Parth told the cops that he had purchased three remdesivir injections from Malik for ₹30,000 each. The original bill and tax invoice of three remdesivir injections were recovered from Malik’s possession.