Mumbai: College and private firm that organised vaccination drives also booked

A case has been registered against Aditya College

Mumbai police have started registering FIRs against organisers of vaccination camps, who had complained regarding fake vaccinations by a group of arrested scamsters, for negligence as they neither informed the civic body about the camps nor verified the accused's details. The Borivli police booked Aditya College and Mansi Share and Stock Advisors for violating the civic body's Covid-19 rules and guidelines. The police said that they have not arrested any of the complainants yet and are enquiring further.

After the fake vaccination camp held at the Kandivli-based Hiranandani Heritage society came to light, Mumbai police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to understand the whole scam. The SIT has so far found that the accused told societies and companies to shut down CCTV cameras and asked them not to take videos and photos. The police are still in search of empty Covishield vials which were used in the vaccination camps.

The accused visited Mansi Share and Stock Advisors's office to meet Hardik Shah

Late on Sunday night, a Kandivli East-based society also approached the Samta Nagar police against the same accused for giving fake vaccinations to around 500 society members. So far, a total of seven FIRs have been registered at Borivli, Kandivli, Khar, Bhoiwada, Naupada and Versova police stations and and two more FIRs are being registered on further complaints.

Senior Inspector Sudhir Kalekar of Borivli police said, "We have also registered an FIR against Aditya College, Borivli West and Mansi Share and Stock Advisors, Shimpoli for negligence. They didn't take permissions from BMC to arrange the vaccination camp at their college and office premises. They endangered the lives of the people who received the vaccines."

Equally responsible

Police sources from the SIT added, "The organisers from the offices and societies did not take BMC's permissions, nor did they check if the vaccine was original or fake. The vaccine's cost was Rs 250 earlier and the arrested accused sold them for Rs 1,260. The organisers did not even purchase them at the government's rate. Without any verification, the organisers endangered the lives of the people. This, too, is an offence and they are equally responsible in the crime."

Another police source added, "Organisers are responsible for accepting the accused's offer when they approached them for the vaccination camp. The organiser also allowed arrested accused Mahendra Singh and the other accused to conduct the camp without verifying their affiliation with the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital or BMC. The organisers also did not question the open vials of Covishield."

Sources said the BMC has started the process to seal Shivam Hospital in Charkop

Another officer added, "Society members and other companies who are victims knew how to register for the vaccine on the CoWIN portal. But they sent details of the beneficiaries to the accused on an excel sheet to get certificates. The Borivli police have taken the statement of representatives of Aditya College and Mansi Share and Stock Advisors and arrested the accused based on the statements. But we are also conducting enquiries on their negligence."

What complainants say

CEO Hardik Shah of Mansi Share and Stock Advisors, told mid-day, "The police should not register a case against us as we are victims. The accused approached us for a vaccination camp at my office. They also showed us vaccination certificates from the camp held for Tips Industries and assured us that proper registration will be done on CoWIN and that civic body's permission will be taken. I paid Rs 6.47 lakh to vaccinate my staff, their kin and my family. I did not take a single rupee from my staff. My 70-year-old mother also took a vaccine at the camp. I arranged the camp so that my staff gets the vaccine easily and does not have to run everywhere." A trustee of Aditya College did not respond to mid-day's calls.

Custody extended

Meanwhile, the seven accused, including Shivam Hospital's owner Shivraj Pataria and his wife Nita Pataria were produced in court on Monday. The police demanded more custody of the accused which the court refused to give. So, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vishal Thakur reached the court and told the judge that police custody is important as three to four more complaints have been received which are in the process of being made into FIRs. The court then agreed to give police custody for two days.

The Dindoshi sessions court on Monday also rejected the anticipatory bail application of Dr Manish Tripathi, who is an absconding accused in the scam. The court also asked him to surrender to the police. So far, the complainants in the case are Hiranandani Heritage society, Kandivli West, Aditya College and Mansi Share and Stock Advisors in Borivli West, Tips Industries, Khar West, Matchbox production company, Versova, Podar schools, Dadar and a website developer in Naupada, Thane. The SIT is enquiring into each case to file an FIR against them.

In another development, sources said that the civic body has started the process to seal the Charkop-based Shivam Hospital.

514
No. of people jabbed at Mansi Stock Advisors's camp

Rs 6.47L
Amount Hardik Shah paid for the vaccination camp

Two
Days by which custody of 7 accused was extended on Mon