VIJAYAWADA: Satyanarayanapuram police arrested a government medical officer and his assistant who were found administering COVID-19 vaccines without permission and also selling them in the black market on Saturday.
Police recovered five Covaxin and six Covishield doses as well as syringes from their possession and registered a case against them under relevant sections of the IPC and Disaster Management Act. The accused reportedly collected Rs 600 to Rs 1000 from the public for administering the vaccine dose.
According to Satyanarayanapuram police inspector V Bala Murali Krishna, the prime accused was identified as Dr NS Raju, a medical officer in G Kondur Government hospital, posted in 104 ‘Covid Helpline’ at the Sub-Collector's office in Vijayawada on deputation two weeks ago.
When the local area corportor Sarvani Murthy and 31 division corporator Penumatsa Sirisha came to know that Raju was illegally administering COVID-19 vaccines in a building under Satyanarayanapuram police station limits, they lodged a complaint with the police who laid a trap and caught him red-handed.
“The accused medical officer somehow managed to procure the vaccines from vaccination points. A case has been registered and an investigation is on to find those who supplied vaccines to the accused,” said the CI V Bala Murali Krishna.