Kandivli vax fraud: Fifth accused brought from MP
MUMBAI: Mumbai Police have arrested Mohammed Karim Akbar Ali, the fifth person accused of holding an unauthorised vaccination drive at Hiranandani Heritage housing society, Kandivli, on May 30. Ali was detained by the Government Railway Police (GRP) on Friday after he alighted a train at Madhya Pradesh. He was brought to Mumbai on Sunday.
According to senior police inspector Balasaheb Salunkhe, the investigating officers had given the name of the train on which Ali was trying to flee Mumbai to GRP. “Based on the information, GRP officers caught him,” said Salunkhe.
Ali is said to be the link between two accused – Mahendra Singh and Ramesh Pandey – and a doctor, Manish Tripathi, who is absconding. Police officers said Ali, who was trained by Dr Tripathi, was responsible for finding data entry staff and ward boys to assist the vaccination drive by private hospitals and introducing them to Dr Tripathi and Singh. “Tripathi was the one who procured vials of Covishield vaccination. We are still investigating the source from where he got the vaccines,” said Salunkhe. The police also said that Dr Tripathi was present at Hiranandani Heritage and administered the vaccine to 390 members.
Meanwhile on Sunday, a second first information report (FIR) was registered against the same accused at Versova police station in another unauthorised vaccine drive, where 150 employees of a film production house and their families were given Covishield in May, but did not receive the vaccine certificates.
The FIR was registered under sections 268 (public nuisance), 270 (malignant act which is likely to spread infection of any disease dangerous to life), 274 (adulteration of drugs), 275 (sale of adulterated drugs), 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery) and relevant sections of the Information Technology (IT) and Epidemic Diseases Acts. Officers said that once Kandivli police complete their probe, the five accused will be arrested by Versova police.
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