Mumbai Covid Vaccination Scam: 'Housing Societies Should Take NOCs From BMC,' Says Aaditya Thackeray

Mumbai police arrested 4 people including a person who was running this racket, another who organised vaccination camps in housing societies, and two others who had stolen a number of IDs.

Mumbai: Maharashtra State Minister Aaditya Thackeray responded to the alleged Covid vaccination scam that was reported by Hiranandani Heritage Club in Mumbai's Kandivali area.

The housing society had filed a complaint with the police alleging that the residents were scammed by few persons who claimed to be from a private hospital and had organized a vaccination camp for its members on May 30. They further suspected that the vaccine that was administered could be spurious.

Responding to the matter, Aaditya Thackeray has said that that housing societies should take NOCs from BMC to ensure vaccination drives are legitimate.

"Let police conduct the probe. Housing societies should take NOCs from BMC. It is on private housing societies and government to ensure that vaccination teams that are coming are legitimate," he said.

According to sources, the police suspect that the management committee of Hiranandani Estate Society was not allowed to hold a vaccination camp and that is why the location on beneficiaries' certificates was different from their actual venue of inoculation as vaccine doses were administered flouting protocols.

"As per preliminary inquiry, the vaccines were not procured from the authorised sources. It is being investigated whether the vaccines were genuine or not,":

Dilip Sawant, Additional CP, North region told news agency ANI about the vaccination drive scam earlier.

Mumbai police arrested 4 people including a person who was running this racket, another who organised vaccination camps in housing societies, and two others who had stolen a number of IDs.

According to a complaint registered by the residents of the society on May 30, the management committee of Hiranandani Heritage had arranged a Covid vaccination drive for its residents and their in-house staff, including the security guards, drivers, and domestic help.

The society has 435 flats, comprising three residential towers and as many as 390 members had received the jabs at the camp at Rs 1,260 per person.

Facilitator Rajesh Pandey allegedly claimed to be a sales representative from Kokilaben Hospital and negotiated with them for providing 400 vaccine doses on their society premises. Around Rs 5 lakh was paid to him for this vaccine camp.

The police are investigating the case and will formally comment on the issue after the preliminary inquiry is concluded.