MUMBAI: A 2,000-page-long chargesheet was filed at a Borivli magistrate court on Friday in connection with the first instance of fraudulent vaccination at Kandivli’s Hiranandani Heritage housing society.
As forensic reports of the contents of vials are waited, police have banked on circumstantial evidence—largely statements of the accused—to establish that saline water was injected into citizens instead of vaccines.
The state had informed the Bombay high court, during the hearing of a PIL about streamlining vaccinations in city last month, they would be filing a chargesheet within two weeks.
Among the 11 accused chargesheeted are Shivam Hospital owner Dr Shivraj Pataria, his wife Neeta Pataria, alleged mastermind Mahendra Singh, ex-Kokilaben Ambani Hospital (KDAH) executive Rajesh Pandey, event manager Sanjay Gupta, placement institute owner Dr Manish Tripathi, his student Karim Ali, Shivam Hospital administrator Rahul Dubey and three data entry operators Gudiya Yadav, Chandan S and Nitin Mode.
“We have recorded statements of 500 witnesses, including 390 residents of the Hiranandani Heritage society where the fraudulent drive was conducted on May 30,” said an IPS officer.
The police have recorded judicial confessions of six witnesses, including two of Tripathi’s students, Roshni Patel and Ajit Benwasi. The duo was roped in for allegedly injecting saline water.
The chargesheet gives details of the money trail, a sum of Rs 5 lakh, collected from Hiranandani residents by Singh while the camp was set up by Pandey allegedly pretending he was doing so on behalf of KDAH. He was subsequently terminated from KDAH.
Police have invoked charges of ‘attempt to commit culpable homicide’ under IPC, besides the Disaster Management Act, Drugs and Cosmetics Act and Epidemic Act. Yadav, Chandan and Mode have been booked under Information Technology Act for keying in incorrect data to generate forged certificates. A BMC report has been attached with the chargesheet which states no intimation was given to them.
