Kingpin held in ‘fake’ Remdesivir scam

Tribune News Service

Karnal, May 3

The Panipat police have arrested the kingpin involved in the sale of allegedly fake Remdesivir injections.

Earlier, six members of three gangs have been arrestedand 32 fake Remdesivir injections recovered last week.

The main accused has been identified as Pardeep, a resident of Sector 13/17, Panipat, who runs chemist shops in the district, Delhi and Haridwar.

SP Shashank Kumar Sawan said the primary probe reveals that the accused used to buy injections from an Uttarakhand resident for Rs 12,000 per vial and then sold it between Rs 15,000 and Rs 30,000.

The accused also revealed that he had already sold 650 injections of 750 vials brought in black market. Of these, Pardeep gave 100 injections to his nephew Sumit, 150 to Saksham and 40 to Keshav for black marketing.

On April 27, the police had nabbed three youths from Panipat on the charges of black marketing of Remdesivir injections and recovered 19 vials from their possession. They were taken on police remand. During the remand period, the accused revealed that they had purchased the seized vials from Pardeep.

On completion of the remand of Sumit, Saksham and Keshav, they wereproduced in the court and were sent to judicial custody. Accused Pradeep has been taken on four-day police remand.

During investigation, it also came to light that the wrapper of the seized vials is quite different from the original injection and looked fake. The public is requested to beware of such gangs involved in black marketing and immediately inform the police, the SP added.

Man nabbed for oxygen black marketing

Faridabad: A man, Sachin of Sector 3 here, was allegedly caught selling an oxygen cylinder in black here on Monday. The accused works as an AC repair mechanic. He was nabbed while accepting Rs 45,000 for an oxygen cylinder, which costs between Rs 6,000 and Rs 8,000. He has been booked under the Essential Services Act and the National Disaster Management Act, 2005. tns