Nagpur: The sordid episode of blackmarketing of Remdesivir injections has been getting murkier as city police have arrested five more persons involved in the racket.
Jaripatka police had arrested four persons — Rajat Tembhre, Rohit Dhote, Manoj and another pharmacist — who were learnt to be accomplices of journalist Vikas Dhokne Patil, Aman Shinde and Ishwar Mondal who were nabbed for their role in selling Remdesivir injections for Covid patients at an exorbitant rate. Police had recovered around four Remdesivir vials from Dhokne, Shinde and Mondal.
The accused Mondal, Tembhre, Dhote and Manoj were ward boys at a hospital based at Dhantoli.
In one more arrest, Imambada police on Saturday rounded up a ward boy Mahendra Ratanlal Rangari (28), a resident of Dighori Naka, Vitthal Nagar for his alleged role behind stealing Remdesivir injection from a Covid Care Centre at Krida Chowk. Rangari was arrested on the basis of the CCTV footage acquired by Imambada police.
According to police, Rajni Nitesh Bhongade (30), a resident of Ramtek Road, Mouda, was admitted to Ojas Covid Centre Hospital. She put the vial of Remdesivir near her bed. When she found the injection missing, she informed the doctors. The hospital staff checked CCTV footage in which Rangari was seen stealing the vial. On the basis of a complaint given by Ashok Laxmanrao Bisne (67), a resident of Plot No. 425, Krida Chowk, Imambada police registered a case under Sections 379 of the IPC against Rangari and arrested him.
Till date, city police have arrested around 12 persons, including two pharmacists, one doctor and nine ward boys, in connection to Remdesivir theft and blackmarketing.
