Kolkata: 48 hours after the fake vaccination camp was busted, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also the health minister, had instructed the police to take strong action against Debanjan Deb on Saturday who was held in fake vaccination scam.
Following the order, a PIL was filed in Calcutta High Court by Special Investigation Team (SIT) on attaching 307 IPC and minutes after getting affirmation from the court, attempt to murder is also attached against the accused Debajan Deb, who is under police custody till July 2.
Notably, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari a day after visiting the West Bengal Health department office, had written to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on central agency probe against the vaccination scam.
Meanwhile, TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty fell ill after taking the fake jab. According to Mimi, who took the jab on June 22 following an invitation from alleged Joint Commissioner of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to encourage people to get vaccinated, Mimi on Tuesday took her first jab in the alleged fake vaccination drive. The TMC MP then complained to police, after which the fake vaccination racket was busted.
According to Mimi’s close aide, the doctor said that she is suffering from low blood pressure and dehydration.
“Mimi has gallbladder and liver issues. It is too early to state that her current health problems due to the jab taken. She has low blood pressure, severe stomach pain and dehydration. She has also suffered a panic attack,” said the close aide of actor-turned-politician.
Who is Debanjan Deb?
Debanjan Deb’s father was Deputy Excise Collector. Debanjan himself sat for the UPSC examination but couldn’t crack it. He lied to everyone and started calling him an IAS officer. From 2014 to 2017, he worked in event management and made documentary films. During the pandemic situation, he started a business of selling sanitizer and masks. He started connecting with various clubs like organizing community kitchen, mask distribution etc., and through the so called ‘social work’ he started calling several Trinamool Congress leaders. During the second wave he had also supplied masks and sanitizers to KMC. During the second wave, people approached him for vaccines. Gradually faking his identity as Joint Commissioner of KMC he started using the flag of KMC on his rented vehicle and also wrote letters on KMC pads and had also opened two bank accounts under KMC's name and promising passing of tenders and contracts, had duped people of several lakhs of rupees.
How did he organise vaccination camps?
Initially contacting TMC MLA of Sonarpur Lovely Maitra, Debanjan wanted to hold the first camp at Sonarpur. Then between June 11-16, connecting with the Principal of Amherst Street City college he held a fake vaccination camp and had vaccinated the professors, including both former and present students of the college. On June 22, with the same fake identity held a third camp at Kasba where he had invited TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty to take her first jab and also to encourage people to take the vaccine. It is learnt that he had also given fake vaccination to his employees.
The Arrest
After the arrest of Debanjan on June 22, Kolkata Police on Saturday arrested three close associates of Debanjan. Sushanta Das(54) and Rabin Sikdar (31) are allegedly the signatory authorities of the alleged KMC bank accounts.
Santunu Manna (44) another associate of Debanjan Deb and resident of Taltala, was also arrested and after producing before Alipore Court, has been sent to police custody till July 2. Three more cases were registered against Debanjan in Kasba on Saturday. One private firm gave about 1.2 lakh rupees to Debanjan for vaccinating its 172 employees. On the other hand, one contractor was cheated of 90 lakh rupees under the pretext of constructing a stadium. One pharma company gave rupees 4 lakh to Debanjan after he had promised to pass a tender in KMC.
Meanwhile, a committee of 10 doctors from the state health department had visited both Kasba and Amherst Street City College to examine the health of the people who had taken the fake Amikacin injection jab.
