Mumbai: Mumbai police questioned a pharma company director over alleged excess stock of the Remdesivir drug and allowed him to leave after he produced necessary documents, a police official said on Sunday.
He had stocked at least 60,000 vials. The state and central governments had allowed him to sell the stock, originally meant for export, in the domestic market due to scarcity of the drug used to treat coronavirus patients, the police official said.
The opposition BJP in Maharashtra objected to the pharma executive’s grilling by Mumbai police, saying the Shiv Sena-led government in the state was playing politics amid the pandemic.
Four days ago we had requested Bruck Pharma to supply us Remdesivir but they couldn’t until permission was given. I spoke to Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya and we got FDA’s permission, former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said.
The BJP leader claimed that a Maharashtra minister’s officer on special duty called the pharma executive and asked him how he could provide Remdesivir on the appeal of opposition parties.
The pharma executive was picked up from his house on Saturday night by 10 policemen, Fadnavis said, describing the action as beyond his imagination .
The Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly said the state government was harassing the Daman-based pharma as BJP leaders approached him for the supply of the antiviral medication to the state.
We (BJP leaders) had contacted Bruck Pharma to supply the stock to Maharashtra as the state is facing a shortage of Remdesivir vials. We even informed the state FDA minister about it and approached the Union government seeking necessary permissions.”
Some Maharashtra BJP leaders went to Daman recently to meet Bruck Pharma officials, requesting them to sell their exportable stock in Maharashtra, Fadnavis said.
“They were told by the company that if the Centre and state government approve, they will sell their entire stock to Maharashtra,” Fadnavis said.
A senior Mumbai police official said, “A director of a pharma company, which supplies Remdesivir, was questioned by the police in connection with the stock of the vials.”
“Based on specific information, police held the pharma company director at Vile Parle, he said.
After export was banned, he had stocked up at least 60,000 vials of the drug. The state and central government has allowed him to sell it in the (domestic) market, he said.
“As we found he did not violate any laws, we did not take any legal action against him. He was questioned about the stock, following which he produced necessary documents,” the official said.
The political slugfest started on Saturday morning when Maharashtra minister and NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik alleged the Centre was pressurising some Remdesivir producers to not sell their stock in Maharashtra.
Joining state BJP leaders, two Central ministers hit back at the Maharashtra government, calling these allegations “a lie” and termed them an attempt to politicise the pandemic.
Fadnavis said, “Malik and some ministers have nothing to do with the troubles of people suffering from coronavirus pandemic. They are more interested in indulging in politics.
BJP trying to ensure Maharashtra doesn’t get Remdesivir: NCP
The NCP on Sunday accused the BJP of trying to ensure Maharashtra does not get Remdesivir stock, and wondered why state BJP leaders got scared when Mumbai police questioned the director of a Daman-based company manufacturing the drug used for treating COVID-19 patients.
Referring to the appearance of top Maharashtra BJP leaders late Saturday night at the BKC police station after the pharma firm director was grilled, state minister and NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said “something is fishy”.
Remdesivir is listed for use in serious COVID-19 patients. In view of a sudden spike in demand of the drug due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, the Centre last week banned its export till the situation improves.
The police on Saturday questioned Rajesh Dokania, director of Bruck Pharma, a Daman-based pharmaceutical manufacturing company that manufactures Remdesivir vials, following information that thousands of vials of the drug to be flown out of the country, an official said.
The opposition BJP in Maharashtra objected to the pharma executive’s grilling by Mumbai police, saying the state government was playing politics amid the pandemic.
It now appears that the stock had been arranged by the BJP for distribution in Maharashtra.
On learning that Dokania was being questioned, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Devendra Fadnavis and LoP in the Council Praveen Darekar rushed to the police station.
Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Nawab Malik said “when two leaders of the opposition and two legislators go to the police station late in the night after the detention of Dokania, something is fishy”.
“The BJP is trying to ensure that Maharashtra doesn’t get its stock of Remdesivir,” alleged Malik, whose party shares power in the state with the Shiv Sena and Congress.
Why did the state BJP leaders get scared? The BJP leaders should explain to the people of Maharashtra why they were “favouring” Dokania, he said.
Malik also said that after the Centre banned the export of Remdesivir, Dokania had approached the Maharashtra government and sought permission to sell it in the state.
State Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Minister Rajesh Shingane had met Dokania along with Darekar, he said.
Malik said when the police got information that there was Remdesivir stock with the company, Dokania was called for questioning. But, Fadnavis and Darekar along with two BJP legislators Prasad Lad and Parag Alavani reached there.
Why did they have to do this? Malik asked.
“When Dokania showed papers that the FDA permission was given for selling the medicine, he was let off. BJP leaders should clarify what is their link with Dokania,” he said.
Meanwhile, state NCP chief and Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil in a tweet said, “With shortage of #Remdesivir, last night @MumbaiPolice rightly fulfilled their duty to check any supply malpractices/hoarding.”
“The real Q is: Can any BJP leader, without any info to State govt/Local authorities/Police, procure lakhs of lifesaving drugs @PMOIndia. It’s a new low,” he added.
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