Investigate fake vaccination camp scam, don’t spare any big fish: Bombay HC – Times of India

Mumbai: “Those playing with the lives of citizens…should be taught a lesson, whoever they be. Irrespective of any colour. There may be big fish involved and yet to be identified, the probe must be absolutely proper and no one should be left out,” the Bombay high court told the state public prosecutor on Tuesday on the fake vaccination camp scam in the city. As many as 2,053 people have been duped at these fake camps held across the city May 25.
The HC bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni, however, expressed its satisfaction with the June 29 investigation report of a deputy police commissioner produced in court by prosecutor Deepak Thakare. The report stated that 12 people have been booked and 11 were in custody in seven cases registered so far. A sessions court on Monday rejected the pre-arrest bail plea of the main accused, Dr Manish Tripathi, and he has surrendered, said Thakare.
The HC was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) by Siddharth Chandrashekhar on streamlining the use of the CoWin app and making Covid-19 vaccines more easily accessible to all.
The bench directed the civic administration to submit on Thursday the fresh standard operating procedure (SOP) it plans to bring out in a day, on conducting vaccination camps at housing societies and educational institutions.
The HC bench also directed the BMC to inform the steps it proposes to take to ensure that the duped 2,053 ‘beneficiaries’ are checked for antibodies and questioned why the state and civic authorities were yet unable to unearth what they had been administered. “This appears to be a state failure…Whatever tests are required, must be done,” said the bench, adding, “Whatever you are contemplating for these unfortunate people you must tell us.”
Anil Sakhare, senior counsel for BMC, said he will apprise the high court on Thursday, the next hearing date, after the bench sought to know the “civic measures for the 2,053 innocent individuals who were duped by the fake vaccination camps…”
“Earnest endeavour ought to be made by the investigative officers to book those yet to be taken into custody. We hope and trust the probe is completed soon and a Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code report be filed at magistrate court at the earliest,” said the HC. It sought a further probe report from the police on July 8.