MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Thursday directed both the state and the BMC to file affidavits to state the new policy guidelines to ensure there is no repeat of the fake vaccination camps that occurred in Mumbai’s western suburbs recently, where over 2,000 people were duped.
The state public prosecutor Deepak Thakare informed the HC that over 2,053 people received fake Covid vaccination shots, and 8 persons were arrested so far, with 400 witness statements recorded by police investigating the cases registered.
Thakare showed a rough chart.
It said in Malad (W), 30 people got fake-jabbed on May 25, 122 in the next two days in Thane, and 514 in Borivli (W).
At Lower Parel on May 29-30, 207 persons and then 390 at Hiranandani Heritage in Kandivli on May 30 fell prey to fake shots.
On June 1, at Andheri (W), 150 were ‘vaccinated’, around 200 in Khar on June 3, around 225 in Borivli (W) and then again in Andheri (W) on June 6, 220 persons were given shots at nine such camps.
Senior civic counsel Anil Sakhare said when people realised certificates were from 3 different hospitals in one camp, BMC started questioning the hospitals.
The HC bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni expressed its anxiety over the issue and instructed BMC to find out what was the effect of this “fake vaccine” on people.
“Have to do tests? Do they have antibodies? Were they given saline or water?” the bench asked and said, “They should be taken care of now.” The HC asked, “Did none of the society members suspect anything?” —