Kolkata Vaccination Fraud: Centre directs West Bengal Chief Secy to probe & submit report

The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday urged West Bengal Chief Secretary Hari Krishna Dwivedi to enquire into the COVID-19 vaccine fraud case in Kolkata; and moreover asked him to submit a factual report on the matter within the next two days. 

In a letter, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that strict actions would be taken in the matter if necessary. 

"It is requested that the matter may be urgently enquired into and factual position about the serious allegations, clarified immediately and that, suitable and strict action may be taken in the matter, if necessary. It is also requested a factual report on the matter may be sent to this Ministry in the next 2 days," he stated in the letter.

Fake COVID-19 vaccination drive busted in Kolkata

The matter came to light when Trinamool Congress MP Mimi Chakraborty claimed to have been duped by a person named Debanjan Deb at a COVID-19 vaccination drive organised by him in Kolkata. 28-year-old Deb was masquerading as the joint commissioner of Kolkata's civic body; he had been duping people into his fake vaccination camp and even administered doses of random drugs on them, she alleged. The TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty had been deceived under the same lowly scheme, however, she got suspicious after she had not received any message post-COVID-19 vaccine jab, and then took action.

TMC's Mimi Chakraborty who fairly assumed she had received the jab later stated that she got suspicious as even her Aadhaar card was not linked to register on the CoWin app. Also, she didn't receive any OTP/SMS or a vaccine certificate post-vaccination. As she didn't receive any information regarding the vaccination, Chakraborty investigated the matter and informed the police, and as a result, a man has been arrested.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated a money-laundering probe in the alleged Kolkata vaccine scam. The central agency has asked the Kolkata Police to send FIRs of COVID-19 vaccine fraud case. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee was directed to intervene in the matter too. An SIT was also formed by Kolkata Police to investigate the matter two days after the fake vaccine camp was busted by Mimi Chakraborty.