Kolkata: Three more arrested in dubious COVID-19 vaccine camps case
Three more associates of fake IAS Officer Debanjan Deb were arrested today morning in connection with the dubious COVID-19 vaccination camps in Kolkata, a senior police officer said. "Two of the associates were signatories of the bank account that was created in the name of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) by the accused," the officer said.
Several people were inoculated using spurious vaccines
"The third person, who was on the payroll of Deb, had actively taken part in the camps where several people were inoculated by using spurious vaccines," he said. "One of them is a resident of Salt Lake, while another is from Barasat. Both were called for questioning before they were arrested," the officer further said.
Third accused was 'very active' in organizing the camps: Police
The third person, a resident of Taltala, was arrested after police found him to be very active in helping to organize the camps, he said. Meanwhile, three more cases were registered against Deb at the Kasba Police Station, the police officer said.
Three more cases were registered against Deb
"A private firm which claimed to have given him about Rs. 1.2 lakh to get around 172 employees inoculated lodged a complaint at the Kasba Police Station," the officer said. "Another complaint was lodged by a contractor who claimed to have paid him Rs. 90 lakh to get the tender for the construction of a stadium," he said.
Deb was arrested on Wednesday for impersonating IAS officer
"The third complaint was filed by a pharma company that paid him Rs. 4 lakh to get a tender," he added. Deb was arrested on Wednesday for posing as an IAS officer and organizing a COVID-19 vaccination camp in the Kasba area, where actor and Trinamool Congress MP Mimi Chakraborty also got her jab.
Chakraborty became suspicious as she didn't receive the customary SMS
Chakraborty said she became suspicious about the vaccination process as she did not receive the customary SMS that is sent to people after they are administered a dose, and informed the police. Investigations revealed that Deb also conducted another vaccination camp at a college in the north Kolkata's Amherst Street area where several teachers and students took the vaccine.