Kandivali Vaccine scam: Mumbai court rejects pre-arrest bail of an accused

A Mumbai court on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail application filed by one of the accused, a doctor, allegedly involved in cheating members of a Kandivali's Hiranandani Heritage by organising a fake COVID-19 vaccination camp. 

In a pre-arrest bail plea filed before the Dindoshi sessions court on June 22, the accused Dr Manish Tripathi had stated the main accused in the case is a private hospital but the Mumbai Police are trying to protect its powerful and politically well-connected owners.

Additional sessions judge L S Chavan rejected the application on Monday. 

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 helps. The society has 435 flats, comprising three residential towers and around 390 residents participated in the drive.

The residents had in their complaint stated that a facilitator, Rajesh Pandey, who claimed to be a sales representative from Kokilaben Hospital, negotiated with them for providing 400 vaccine doses on their society premises. They further stated that each dose cost Rs 1,260 and around Rs 5 lakh was paid.

Till last week, Kandivali police had arrested six people in the case.