Three persons were arrested on Wednesday in the city on charges of selling drug Remdesivir in black market. The drug has been in high demand for treating COVID-19 patients.
A pharmacist of a private hospital and a manager of another hospital were arrested on Wednesday for dealing in Remdesivir. The pharmacist was accused of stealing the drug from the hospital’s pharmacy and later selling them at higher rates.
Since last week, the city police have arrested 10 persons, including two doctors, for trying to sell the drug in black. On Wednesday, based on a complaint from a manager of a pharmacy attached with a private hospital in Purasawalkam, the police arrested two persons. Their names were given as B. Jayasurya, 23, of Otteri, and Stalin Thomas, 42, a manager of private hospital in Maduravoyal for a higher price. He handed over the complaint along with the CCTV footage to the police.
A case was booked under Section 381 (theft by clerk or servant of property in possession of master,) and 408 (criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant) read with a provision of Essential Commodities Act.
In another case, near the Choolai post office, officers of the Civil Supplies CID intercepted Ganesh, 27, of Korukkupet, who runs a pharmacy in Choolai, and found him carrying 12 vials of the drug.
