Kandivli Covid-19 vaccination scam: Main accused files for anticipatory bail

The Kandivli police are looking for Dr Manish Tripathi

The main absconding accused in the vaccination scam, Dr Manish Tripathi, filed an anticipatory bail application in the Dindoshi Sessions Court on Tuesday. The hearing is on Friday. The Kandivli police are in search of him. Tripathi's lawyer Naznin Khatri claimed Dr Tripathi is innocent and not involved in this scam.

Tripathi is the owner of the KCEP school of Medical and Paramedical Sciences at Charkop. Kandivli police alleged that he stole the Co-Win Portal's IDs and passwords of different Covid-19 centres in Mumbai and passed them on to the arrested accused, Mahendra Singh. Kandivli police also believe that Tripathi used his students in this scam to administer vaccines, supply them and to steal Co-Win IDs and passwords.

Advocate Khatri said, "The allegations by the other accused and police are false and baseless. The co-accused, Mahender Singh, misguided the complainant, Hiranandani Heritage society. The KCEP institute works in the premises of Shivam Hospital, only as a training centre. The admission office of KCEP is at Kandivli East. But Singh confused the complainant, as he is an employee of Shivam Hospital and wanted to save it."

‘Unauthorised drive'

He also claimed that the Hiranandani Heritage society did not have permission for the vaccination drive from the local BMC ward officer. "The society did not send a letter of Intent to the hospital which is supposed to be given by it to BMC, which verifies it. There was a delay in registration of the FIR. Even if there was any problem faced by the complainant regarding the vaccine, it was not informed to the local ward officer. Society members never met or saw or spoke to my client, Dr Tripathi. Singh took the name of Dr Tripathi so the society filed a complaint without verifying who he was and whether he was connected to the day-to-day functioning of Shivam Hospital," Khatri said.

"Shivam Hospital wanted to save their face and made Tripathi a scapegoat. The whole case revolves around Shivam Hospital and its owners and their son. The Kandivli police is doing their best to protect the rich, powerful, politically well-connected people behind Shivam Hospital, who had access to CoWin Portal. Also, Shivam Hospital, never raised any question of missing vaccines with the police or BMC. Nor did they raise the illegal access to their CoWin registration," he added.
Khatri also claimed Dr Tripathi visited the Kandivli police station on June 15 but did not again, as he was assaulted by the police.

More FIRs

Late on Monday the Khar police registered a third FIR in the vaccination scam against the same group which was arrested by the Kandivli police. The authorities of Tips Industries filed a complaint against Rajesh Pandey, Sanjay Gupta and four others. According to the police, 206 employees of Tips including their family members, were allegedly given fake vaccines by the group after charging them in all Rs 2,84,696. The Khar police have booked the six men for cheating and endangering their lives.

On June 3 a vaccination camp was organised at Aaditya College for staff, students and their parents. Now the Borivli police are inquiring in this matter and there is the possibility of a fourth FIR being registered in the scam.