Criminal Petition filed against illegal procurement and distribution of remesivir by M P Dr. Sujay Vikhe
Aurangabad: HC orders cargo details from Airport Authority and expresses doubt on Collectors conduct, in Criminal Petition filed against illegal procurement and distribution of remesivir by Dt. Sujay Vikhe
The hearing in the criminal petition challenging the illegal procurement and transportation of 10000 remedisivir injections, filed through the chamber of Adv. Satish Talekar, was conducted before the HC on 29.04.2021 at 2-30 pm.
An intervention application filed by some of the patients supporting the action of the MP in procuring the drug which saved their lives was rejected by the HC stating that it does not wish to go into the details into whether the patients were illegal beneficiaries, and leave that question to the investigating authority, while this petition is limited to the illegal procurement, transport and distribution of 10000 remedisivir injections by the MP from delhi to Ahmednagar.
Adv. Pradnya Talekar has pointed out the transcript of the interview of Dr. Vikhe in response to the petition wherein the MP has admitted to have procured the injections and transported the same in a private aircraft. Further, it was pointed out that in press cutting from dainik loksatta on 27th April, it is indicated that the Collector has justified the action of the MP in a press conference conducted by the District Collector in his office premises after meeting with Dr. Vikhe. Relying on this it was contended on behalf of petitioners that the intention of the collecto appears to be to cover up the entire incident.
In charge government pleader Adv. DR Kale has placed on record a communication by district collector along with 48 pages of documents, showing that the collector has permitted the district civil surgeon to place an order directly with PharmD a pune based company for 1700 remedisivir injections, on behalf of Dr. Vikhe Patil hospital medical store on payment made by it.
The HC has observed that these 1700 injections which are detailed to have been legally procured have been so procured from pune and have not been transported in the chartered flight from delhi to shirdi. The HC also held that prima facie it is of the view that considering the press conference allegedly held in the premises of the collector by himself and the receipts placed before the court that these injections have not taken the route from delhi to shirdi and district collector is attempting to protect the MP by holding press conference in his premises stating that these injections were procured legally and have been distributed legally. The question therefore is whether a different lot has been transported by Dr Vikhe of boxes containing remedisivir injections through chartered aircraft through delhi to shirdi. Whether the video recordings and photographs uploaded by him during his air journey, landing at the Shirdi airport and distributing the injections by holding a get together are truthful or not and whether they need to be investigated. Ex facie, the court held that considering the role played by the district collector Dr. Rajendra Bhosle unless proven otherwise we do not think we would have the confidence in considering his role in any investigation.
AGP sought short adjournment for the district collector to explain his position. Petition listed on 03.05.2021 at 2-30 pm.
Meanwhile, direction issued to principal secretary home department to ensure that the details about the aircraft landings at shirdi airport in connection with private aircrafts/chartered flights in between 10.04.2021 to 25.04.2021 and video recordings through CCTV footage as regards cargo consignment since the concerned MP purportedly states in his video recording that he landed in the chartered aircraft at shirdi airport and unloaded boxes of remedisivir injections. We make it clear that we would not tolerate any excuse of any footage being lost or of details of chartered aircrafts landings and take off not being available. Chief Public Prosecutor was directed to convey the directions to respondent no, 2 and place on record details on 03.05.2021.
Adv. Pradnya Talekar and Adv. Ajinkya Kale appeared for the petitioners, Adv. DR Kale appeared for the State, Adv. Hon and Adv. Thombre filed an intervention application on behalf of patients whereas adv. Ostwal filed an intervention application on behalf of Vikhe patil pravara hospital trust.