Two more arrested in fake Covid vaccine camps case in Kolkata

KOLKATA: A few more people were arrested in connection with the dubious COVID vaccination camps case in Kolkata, a police officer said on Tuesday.

With the latest arrests, the Kolkata Police has so far nabbed six persons in the case, including fake IAS officer Debanjan Deb who masterminded the dubious COVID vaccination camps in the city, he said.

"In a raid on Monday night, we picked up Deb's cousin from the Naktala area and another 52-year-old man from the northern part of the city. Both were actively involved with Deb," the officer said.

Deb's cousin knew from the very beginning that he was not an IAS officer and despite that, he continued assisting him in the illegal activities, the officer said.

"The cousin even cheated Deb. The other man was associated with a doctor of the Taltala area and assisting Deb in administering the fake COVID vaccines to the people who came to the camps," he said.

The investigators also found that Deb as an "IAS officer" even conducted a raid near his office in the Kasba area after getting information that adulterated petrol was being sold, the police officer said.

A report about the raid was published in a newspaper with Deb's photograph, he said.

"He had also conducted an election where his employees cast votes. After the election, he declared himself the winner and also got that news published, mentioning that he won in West Bengal Employees Federation elections," the officer said.

Deb was arrested last week for masquerading as the joint commissioner of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and operating dubious immunisation camps.

Three of his associates were arrested on Saturday as police included the charge of an attempt to murder along with other sections of the IPC against them.