Kolkata Police arrest 2 more people in connection with vaccine fraud case, 6 nabbed so far

In a major update in connection with the Kolkata COVID-19 vaccine fraud case, two more people have been arrested, a police officer said on Tuesday. With this, the Kolkata Police has arrested six people till now in the case, including fake IAS officer Debanjan Deb who was the mastermind of the false vaccination camps in the city. 

"In a raid on Monday night, we picked up Deb's cousin from the Naktala area and another 52-year-old man from the northern part of the city. Both were actively involved with Deb," the officer said.

The officer added, "Deb's cousin knew from the very beginning that he was not an IAS officer and despite that, he continued assisting him in illegal activities."

On Sunday, Debanjan Deb had confessed to organizing fake vaccination camps at places namely City College and Kasba in the city. "He claims that he wrote a mail to Serum Institute of India for sending Covishield. This is being verified. He has also confessed to organizing two camps. One at City College and one in his office at Kasba. No other camp for vaccination was organized elsewhere," the police had informed. 

Kolkata Vaccine Fraud

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Friday dismantled a controversial plaque bearing the name of Debanjan Deb, arrested for allegedly organizing fake COVID-19 vaccination camps masquerading as an IAS officer, along with Trinamool Congress lawmakers and a minister. The same day, an SIT was formed by the police to investigate the matter two days after TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty was duped in the fake vaccination drive. Deb was subsequently arrested based on Chakraborty's complaint.

Mimi Chakraborty, who was invited to attend the camp, said she became suspicious about the vaccination process as she did not receive the customary SMS that is sent to people after they are administered a dose, and informed the police.

Two TMC MLAs had lodged police complaints claiming that their names were on the plaque, installed at the base of a bust of Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore at Taltala area in central Kolkata, though they did not have any knowledge about the programme.

(With PTI Inputs)