Gautam Gambhir, BJP MP, was unauthorisedly stocking and providing Fabiflu drug for Covid-19 patients, the Drug Controller informed the Delhi High Court on Thursday.

The former cricketer’s group, Gautam Gambhir Foundation, was found to flouted the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, as it was found stocking medicine in an unauthorised manner, it alleged.

“We have found them in contravention. Identical language is used for them like the dealers. Identical action will be taken,” the Drug Controller submitted. The Division Bench comprising Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh, which had taken exception to the Drug Controller’s status report on hoarding of drugs by politicians two days back, said it was expected that action would be taken against them. “So, we take it that you will take action against the foundation,” asked Sanghi. To this, the counsel agreed, prompting Singh to say: “We want the Drug Controller to colour everybody with the same brush.”

Justice Sanghi observed: “We are again saying that what Gambhir did was in public spirit. But at what expense? At the expense of needy people. If I need a medicine today but I am not getting it because somebody else did… The stock was not available to the needy for nearly two weeks. You did charity but you also caused a lot of impediments. You caused shortage. The general patients who needed it, could not get it.”

The Drug Controller also found Aam Aadmi Party MLA Praveen Kumar guilty under the same Act. The court asked the counsel whether the status report submitted by the Drug Controller was in relation to Gambhir only or “does it relate to Praveen Kumar also?”

“Status report deals with MLA Praveen Kumar also and we have found him guilty, too,” said Rao.

The Court asked the Drug Controller to take action against these people as well as others saying that an example needs to be set. “We want you to take action against these violations in terms of your report so that an example is set,” the court said. It also directed the Drug Controller to file a status report on the same. The matter has been listed for further hearing on July 29.

Trash status report

The Drug Controller’s response came two days after the Court had rejected a status report it had submitted on allegations of hoarding of Covid-19 drugs by politicians. “You can’t take us for a ride. If you think we are so gullible, so naive, we are not,” the Court had snapped. The Judges had then asked for a fresh status report.

The High Court was hearing a PIL seeking lodging of an FIR on the allegations that politicians are able to procure in huge quantities and distribute Covid-19 medicines even as patients were running from pillar to post to get them.

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