Suvendu Adhikari demands Central probe in vaccine scam, details links of accused with TMC

BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Friday wrote a letter to Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan demanding a central agency probe into the alleged Kolkata vaccine scam where a 28-year-old has been accused of duping people into a fake vaccination camp by masquerading as an officer of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC). In his two-page letter, Suvendu Adhikari expressed concern over the health and safety of the citizens who had been administered the fake jabs alleging that the 'vaccination camps' by the KMC had been publicized through TMC's trademark 'blue and white balloons. 

BJP alleges TMC role in vaccine scam

The BJP leader alleged the role of the Trinamool Congress in the scam saying that several incriminating photos suggestive of the accused Debanjan Deb's influence in the ruling party of West Bengal had come to the fore. He also highlighted Deb's presence in the TMC government's 'Duare Sarkar camps'. 

"Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, West Bengal Government Minister Subrata Mukherjee, TMC MP Santanu Sen, TMC MLAs Debasish Kumar and Lovely Maitra, KMC councilor Baiswanor Chatterjee and others are seen directly or indirectly endorsing the activities of Debanjan Deb. He has previously been seen posing with Government of West Bengal files or hosting Duare Sarkar camps of West Bengal govemment in Ward 66 of KMC," Suvendu wrote. 

Expressing doubts over an impartial investigation by the Kolkata Police, the BJP leader asked for a probe by central agencies. "An impartial investigation by central agencies, undaunted by any pressure from the state's ruling party or government, is the need of the hour to restore credibility of the entire Covid vaccination process in West Bengal," he stated.

Kolkata vaccination scam

The Kolkata vaccine scam was unearthed after fake COVISHIELD labels were found to have been imposed over labels of an antibiotic-- Amikacin Sulphate 500 mg, used to treat bacterial infections of the urinary tract, bones and joints, lungs, brain, blood, among others. On June 24, Kolkata Police raided a man named Debanjan Deb, impersonating as an IAS officer in KMC's Kasba office in South Kolkata, and found a large quantity of Amikacin vials and fake labels of COVISHIELD. After catching hold of his computer and sending it to forensics, it was found that the fake labels stuck on vials were designed on his computer itself. These injections were being widely used during the COVID-19 vaccination drive in several wards of Kolkata.

“The vials used by Deb had a label with COVISHIELD written on it in green colour. It didn’t have any batch number, manufacture date, expiry date or the company’s name. Only ‘recombinant vaccine’ was written on it. The vials were also smaller than actual Covishield vaccine vials,” said Ranita Sengupta, Deputy Chief Medical health officer at KMC.