NAGPUR: A doctor and three hospital ward boys have been arrested for allegedly stealing Remdesivir injections from dead COVID-19 patients in order to sell them in the black market, Nagpur Deputy Commissioner of Police V Neelotpal said on Friday.
The four work in different hospitals and 15 vials of the injection, in high demand amid a spike in coronavirus cases, have been seized from them, he said.
"When a patient used to die, they would enter the room in PPE kits, steal Remdesivir injections lying unused around and then sell each vial for as much as Rs 5,000. A ward boy was also supplying them these injections for Rs 3,500 and the accused were selling it for Rs 16,000. They have been doing this for the past 10 days, we have found out. Another doctor and ward boy are also on the radar in this case," he said.
The four were remanded in police custody till April 28, the DCP informed, and identified the accused as Dr Lokesh Shahu, and ward boys Shubham Mohdure, Kunal Kohale and Sumit Bangde.
Officials said the four were held after Nagpur police commissioner Amitesh Kumar received a tip off about this racket.