Mumbai Covid vax scam: Beneficiaries got fake Covid shots, say cops

The Kandivli police, investigating the vaccination scam, believe that what was administered to 390 members of Hiranandani Heritage society, 150 employees of Matchbox Pictures, employees and students of Aditya College and several others Covid at the unauthorised vaccination camps were not Covid vaccines at all, but something else said police officers

The Kandivli police, investigating the vaccination scam, believe that what was administered to 390 members of Hiranandani Heritage society, 150 employees of Matchbox Pictures, employees and students of Aditya College and several others Covid at the unauthorised vaccination camps were not Covid vaccines at all, but something else said police officers.

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“We really cannot say what it was, in absence of forensic laboratory reports, but we are certain that those were not Covid vaccines,” said a police officer privy with the investigation.

The police officer said the main accused Mahendra Singh, who got alerted after the scam was reported to us, has destroyed his mobile phone and other evidence, which might have revealed what the bottles contained.

“We have just found the broken screen of Singh’s mobile. We are now looking for other evidence like the vaccination vials and bottles which were reported to be opened during the camp at Hiranandani Heritage.

The officer added that they were also surprised by the fact that none of the 390 members of Hiranandani Heritage reported any symptoms or side effects after getting the purported Covishield shots.

“The civic body (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) has denied providing any vaccination to the arrested accused, however, we believe that if the bottles had the actual vaccine, it was procured by Dr Manish Tripathi who is the sixth accused and is still absconding,” added the officer.

Mahendra Singh had approached Hiranandani Heritage Residents Welfare Association (HHRWS), a managing body representing three buildings in the residential complex at Kandivli (West), and offered to set up a vaccination camp aided by Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Andheri.

On May 30, 390 members were administered the vaccines. But they weren’t registered on the centralised Co-WIN portal, as per the rules. After seven-eight days, the residents started getting messages about their vaccination certificates. But to their surprise, they were issued certificates from two private hospitals— Nanavati Max Super Speciality and Lifeline hospitals — and the civic-run NESCO jumbo centre, Goregaon, which does not even hold vaccination in societies.

The society members got suspicious about the camp after they got certificates from different hospitals, other than Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, and reported the matter to the police.

The police have so far arrested five persons in connection with the vaccination scam. The five men are identified as Mahendra Kuldip Singh, 39, Sanjay Gupta, 34, Chandan Singh, 32, Nitin Mode, 32 and Karim Ali, 21. Police officers said they have confessed to having organised such camps in nine other societies before holding a camp at Hiranandani Heritage.

The Khar police on Monday night registered the third FIR in the vaccination scam. Based on a complaint lodged by Tips Industries Ltd. police have booked Rajesh Pandey, Sanjay Gupta and four others. According to the police 206 employees of Tips Industries and their family members were administered alleged fake vaccines by the group by charging them ₹2,84,696. The Khar police have booked the six men for cheating and endangering the lives of the beneficiaries.