Mumbai police and Fadnavis involved in late night tussle over distribution of Remdesivir

A new political controversy erupted  broke in Maharashtra after Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis went to Vile Parle police station as the authorities were questioning a director of a Daman-based pharmaceutical company about a large consignment of the antiviral drug remdesivir they said was being stored in the city.The Mumbai Police said that the executive of Bruck Pharma had been called in for questioning with relation to allegations that the consignment was going to be sent abroad, despite the government banning its export due to the shortage in India, the Indian Express reported.

The executive was allowed to leave after 45 minutes but BJP leaders Devendra Fadnavis and Praveen Darekar went to the Vile Parle police station to speak to officials about the matter. Fadnavis said that four days ago, Darekar and Prasad Lal, another BJP leader, had gone to Daman and asked Bruck Pharma to supply remdesivir to Maharashtra because the state was facing a shortage.“Bruck Pharma said they could produce the drug but could not supply it without the government’s permission,” Fadvnavis told reporters. “Then I spoke to Union minister Mansukh Mandaviya and arranged for the required permission.”Darekar said that the BJP had wanted to distribute the drug through the state government, the Indian Express reported. “As a noble gesture we decided to foot the entire cost of Rs 4.75 crore,” he said. “Fadnavis was to hand over the remdesivir stock to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.”He claimed that the BJP had even informed Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration Minister Rajendra Shingne about the development.

Fadnavis said that the Bruck Pharma official had been detained by 10 police officers. “We showed the police the permission letter,” Fadnavis said, according to ANI. “Deputy Commissioner of Police Manjunath Singe said it wasn’t communicated to them earlier.” The police officer denied that the Bruck Pharma official was arrested, and said that he was only summoned for an inquiry amidst the widespread black-marketing of the drug, according to ANI. Last week, the Centre had decided to ramp up the production of remdesivir and reduce its price amid the surge in coronavirus cases in the country. The development comes after Maharashtra complained about a shortage of the drug used which is being used to treat critical coronavirus patients