How Politicians & Celebrities Distribute COVID Drugs When State Faces Shortage?Bombay High Court Asks

The Bombay High Court asked the State to respond to an interim application demonstrating how investigational drugs like Remdesivir and Tocilizubam are being procured and distributed by politicians and celebrities while the State continues to complain about a shortage in official supply.

The bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni was hearing a PIL on Covid-19 management when Advocate Rajesh Inamdar pointed out how patients approached Bollywood celebrities and politicians through Twitter, when they failed to get Remdesivir through lawful official channels.

He has annexed several tweets from Bollywood Actor Sonu Sood and NCP's Zeeshan Siddiqui, distributing Remdesivir vials within hours of such pleas, with a rider there are several other instances.

"Why don't you (State) appoint nodal officers for film stars & politicians? They can have their share of blessings from God, and we will not stand in their way. But help should reach all and not just a select few," the CJ observed.

"As the Advocate has said, this is just the 'tip of the iceberg,' we don't know what lies under the water. We are here to do justice in accordance with law, not justice that is not in accordance with law," he added.

Justice Kulkarni then asked if this would amount to black marketing. "Whether this would amount to hoarding, illegal stocking and illegal distribution?"

The bench then asked the State to respond to these allegations.

Inamdar pointed out that hospitals even in Mumbai have boards saying they have no stock of Remdesivir/Tocilizubam for treating covid-19 patients, and doctors continue to pressurise relatives to procure the drug from outside.

"There is a group of people, politicians etc who are distributing Remdesivir to patients arbitrarily. How are they procuring it?"

The bench then asked the State why their orders are not followed, and patients are asked to procure Remdesivir independently.

In his application, Inamdar states, that within few hours of tweeting, the vials reach people,

"It is submitted that people's representatives and celebrities should ensure that people don't have to come to them and ensure that the provision essential medicine's is assured in the public health facilities provided by the State, it is expected of them to in fact aid and guide such persons to procure the medicines from proper channels and mechanism as set by the State and assist the State in fulfilling its obligations and not make people dependent on them for any gains be it political or personal."

The petition has been drawn by Advocates Shashwat Anand and Saif Alam and filed by Adv Pankaj Khandari.