COVID-19: HC asks police to examine plea on politicians procuring, distributing Remdesivir

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Tuesday asked the police to examine the instances of politicians allegedly procuring and distributing Remdesivir, used for treating COVID-19 patients, in the national capital and take steps for lodging of FIR in case of offence.

A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said the court was not inclined however to direct any enquiry proceedings by the CBI at this stage into these allegations.

“However, in relation to instances falling within the jurisdiction of this court, we direct the petitioner to place his grievances before the Commissioner of Delhi Police who shall examine the same and respond to the petitioner,” the bench said.

It added that in case commission of an offence is found to have taken place, the police shall take steps to register an FIR and asked the Delhi Police to file a status report within a week and listed the matter for further hearing on May 17.

The high court was hearing a PIL seeking lodging of an FIR and CBI investigation into politicians being able to procure and distribute Remdesivir, even as patients were running from pillar to post to get the medicine.

Petitioner Deepak Singh, the chairperson of Hruduya Foundation and a national level shooter, has questioned how politicians are able to procure large stocks of the medicine without having the requisite permission under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, when the normal public was not getting it.

Advocate Virag Gupta, representing the petitioner, submitted that strict action be taken against the politicians, who were allegedly indulging in black marketing, as they cannot procure it in the absence of a licence.

The high court observed that it was not interested in calling for any preliminary enquiry at this stage and can only look at the instances which were alleged to have been committed within its jurisdiction.

Singh has alleged in his plea, filed through advocate Gaurav Pathak, that politicians have been involved in large scale hoarding, transfer and distribution of crucial medicines like Remdesivir.

”Political parties, most of which are invariably headquartered in Delhi are taking advantage of their political powers and are giving patronage to the medical mafia,” the plea has claimed.

Besides lodging of FIR and CBI probe, the plea also sought ”detention of persons indulging in black-marketing of COVID-19 medicines as per National Security Act, 1980” and ”disqualification of MPs and MLAs found to be hoarding and illegally distributing COVID-19 medicines”.