Mumbai: The city crime branch arrested two persons including owner of a polyclinic at Prabhadevi for alleged black marketing of Remdesivir. Five vials of the antiviral drug were recovered from them. The antiviral drug is used for treating serious COVID-19 patients and is currently in short supply as its demand has skyrocketed due to worsening pandemic situation. People are complaining of its short supply and inflated rates. The polyclinic owner Rajesh Patil was found selling the drug as high as Rs 25,000 per vial, said police.
According to the officials, Assistant Police Inspector Amol Mali of crime branch unit 5 received information that few people are indulged in black marketing of Remdesivir. Accordingly, crime branch officials along with Food and Drug Administration officials laid a trap near Kabutarkhana at Dadar on Monday and arrested a delivery boy named Rupesh Baikar, 33, when he arrived to deliver the drug. During his search five vials of Remdesivir were recovered.
Baikar who works at Patil as a delivery boy led the crime branch sleuths to Vedica polyclinic at Prabhadevi, following questioning Patil was arrested as well. According to the crime branch officials, Patil owner of Vedica Polyclinic at Prabhadevi was involved in black marketing of Remdesivir amidst high demand for the drug. He used to procure Remdesivir vial from one Urmila Taniya for ₹16,000 and sell them to needy patients and their families for ₹25,000 per vial. Taniya has been made an accused in the case, said officials.
