Ready to face whatever the court decides: Gautam Gambhir on drug hoarding case

The Bharatiya Janata Party MP from East Delhi had been found guilty of unauthorisedly stocking and distributing Fabiflu pills to Covid-19 patients by the Delhi government's drug control department.

Cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir told reporters on Friday that he’s ready to face the Delhi high court’s decision in the ongoing Fabiflu hoarding case, adding that his foundation will keep on working for the people.

The drug controller told the Delhi high court on Friday that Gautam Gambhir Foundation had committed an offence under Drugs and Cosmetics Act (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

“The matter (Distribution of Fabiflu drug) is in the court. Whatever the court will decide, I am ready to face it. All I can say is Gautam Gambhir Foundation will keep working for people,” ANI quoted Gambhir as saying.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament from East Delhi had been found guilty of unauthorisedly stocking and distributing Fabiflu pills to Covid-19 patients by the Delhi government's drug control department. The drug controller told the Delhi high court on Thursday that Gautam Gambhir Foundation had committed an offence under Drugs and Cosmetics Act as it was found stocking medicine in an unauthorised manner. The court has listed the manner for further hearing on July 29.

On May 7, the Delhi high court while hearing a plea filed by Deepak Kumar, sought a first information report (FIR) against Gambhir and directed the Delhi Police to carry out an investigation. The court also asked the drug controller to probe deeper into the case.

The drug controller gave Gambhir and his foundation a clean chit in its report submitted before the court on May 31.

“If your Drug Controller is not interested in doing the job, then we will ask that he be removed and let somebody else take over. What investigation? This is trash. There is no legal basis to it,” the court had said.

The court also criticised the politician for causing a shortage of essential medication, adding that there are other ways of helping people.

"You (Gautam Gambhir) did charity and tried to help the people, but in that you caused a shortage because of which genuine patients could not get the medicine. There could have been other ways of helping people," the court said.

The court has asked the drug controller to take action against the individuals in its report “so that an example is set”, directing it to submit a status report on the same.