NEW DELHI: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the Centre to issue strict guidelines and regulations to prevent the chances of fake and counterfeit COVID-19 vaccine.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari sought a direction to the Centre to enact a strict law against the criminal act committed by selling or circulating the counterfeit vaccine by any organisation or Individual.
The pleas asked that the guidelines be made under Disaster Management Act or under any other law by constituting a high powered committee, to be headed and monitored by a retired judge of the apex court, to prevent fake coronavirus vaccine, selling/circulating and advertising by any organisation, online app.
"The government has to run the awareness program for the safety of the citizens against the danger of counterfeit vaccination of the virus and to regulate and ensure the equitable distribution of the vaccine and also to ensure its affordable pricing for the public," the plea added.
The petitioner said that the PIL is filed for protection against Covid-19 spurious vaccine and highlighting the risk and danger of fake vaccine.
The plea stated: "Interpol has issued a global alert to law enforcement across its 194 member countries warning them to prepare for organized crime networks targeting COVID-19 vaccines, both physically and online.
India is a vast country with having huge population. It can be a big place of profit for criminal organizations and companies as it can be made a market for selling counterfeit and fake vaccine. Such organisations adopt a very smart technique of publicity which can attract several innocent citizens of our nation for buying the vaccine.
"Online fraud has become a regular criminal act committed and our nation is also facing this challenge," the plea added.