Chennai: Three held for buying Remdesivir by forging documents

In the disguise of volunteering, the trio had taken xerox copies of other documents from some of the attendees to buy the drug from the counter with an aim to sell it at the black market for a higher price.

Three persons were held by the Chennai Police on Tuesday after they purchased Remdesivir drug at the Government Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital using the documents of a person who succumbed to the disease a week ago.

The police identified Sivakumar (43) and Satheesh Kumar (35) of Madhavaram, Christy Paul (34) of Ayanavaram. According to the city police, Sivakumar had brought Remdesivir drug for Selvam who was infected with Covid-19 on April 29. A couple of days later, Selvam had succumbed to the disease. Sivakumar had then taken a colour Xerox of Selvam’s documents and had brought medicine from the counter.

Sivakumar engaged in a similar modus Operandi by forging documents of three other patients on Tuesday. In the disguise of volunteering, the trio had taken xerox copies of other documents from some of the attendees to buy the drug from the counter with an aim to sell it at the black market for a higher price.

According to the police, an officer who saw these trio buying drugs earlier was surprised to see them again standing in the queue. She had then informed other officials. The officers at the counter then checked them and the address in the medical documents differed from their ID proofs. The G-3 Kilpauk Inspector and other officials rushed to the place and arrested the gang.

So far, the city police have arrested more than 40 people for attempting to buy Remdesivir drug illegally.

Despite the government’s initiative to open counters in five other districts like Madurai, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Salem, the crowd continues to throng the counter at Kilpauk Medical College to buy the vials. There have been reports of some of the attendees hiring agents to stand in the queue which commences from as early as 4 am.

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