Mumbai housing society vaccine scam: 2 held as residents suspect 'fake' shots

Many residents of Mumbai's posh Hiranandani Estate Society have plans to travel abroad but their vaccination status remains doubtful.

Two people have been detained in connection with the vaccine scene that unfolded in Mumbai's Hiranandani Estate Society after the residents on Tuesday raised suspicion over the Covid vaccine dose that they got at a vaccination camp held at the residential complex on May 30. A police complaint was filed by the residents at Kandivli police station after the resident spotted several irregularities in the entire process. None of them developed any side effect after being administered with the vaccine dose.

Residents are now doubtful of whether they got Covishield, as all other details like date of vaccination, name of hospital etc are wrong in the certificates. (Representative image) (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

Here is what happened?

The residents' welfare association got in touch with some people who organised the vaccination camp at the society complex, as the government has now allowed residential societies to organise camps vaccine camps. The residents were informed that they will receive the shots from Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Andheri. But as they have started receiving the vaccine certificates, they found that their vaccines came from Nanavati Max Super Speciality, Lifeline hospitals and NESCO jumbo centre.

None of them had registered on Co-Win app before being inoculated. They were registered after vaccination as they received calls asking for the Co-Win OTP. Following this, they received their certificates which were full of wrong information.

The hospitals apparently involved — Nanavati Max Super Speciality, Lifeline hospitals and NESCO jumbo centre — denied any role. They also clarified that they did not issue those certificates and NESCO jumbo centre, for instance, is run by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and hence its vaccines are free. But it also clarified that it does not have the permission to provide vaccines to residential societies.

The residents of the society paid for the vaccine shots and some of them have plans to travel abroad. Now they are not sure whether they received Covishield or glucose water.