Kolkata vaccination scam: Plea filed in SC against HC order refusing CBI probe

In his plea, the petitioner alleged that the Calcutta high court 'failed to appreciate' that West Bengal's agencies cannot carry out a 'fair and impartial' probe.

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging a Calcutta high court order in which the latter refused to direct a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged fake Covid-19 vaccination centres being run in Kolkata by a man impersonating as an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).

A protest in Kolkata against the fake vaccination scam (ANI).

The petitioner, Ajit Kumar Mishra, claimed in his plea that the high court “failed to appreciate” that West Bengal's agencies cannot carry out a “fair and impartial” probe as the case allegedly involved leaders from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). Additionally, Mishra alleged that the role of officials belonging to West Bengal’s Department of Health and Family Welfare may also come under the scanner and hence, no state agency can be entrusted with the probe.

“The possibility of an administration being run in parallel to that of the government of West Bengal, by a consortium of influential people connected to the corridors of power under the aegis of a particular political party being the ruling party of West Bengal, cannot be ruled out,” the plea mentioned further.

The Calcutta high court, on July 9, dismissed a plea seeking a CBI probe into the alleged scam, remarking that the state agencies had “woken up” and initiated an investigation and, therefore, a probe by the central agency “was not necessary.”

In June, the Kolkata Police busted the alleged scam, being run by 28-year-old Debanjan Deb, who was masquerading as an IAS officer. TMC Lok Sabha MP Mimi Chakraborty was among those who ended up getting “vaccinated” at the camp.

(With PTI inputs)