Karnataka High Court Denies Anticipatory Bail To Medical Representative Accused Of Black Marketing Remdesivir During Covid-19

Justice K Natarajan while dismissing the plea filed by Chetan CV said,

"It cannot be said that it is a simple offence as it was disaster time and cheated the public at large and also created panic in the public. The petitioner is required for custodial interrogation. Hence, he is not entitled to anticipatory bail."

As per the complaint, on May 6 the police sub-inspector registered a suo-motu case alleging that he received credible information about selling Remdesivir injections in an unlawful manner for higher price than fixed by the government.

The police sent a proxy person to secure the injection from the accused on the pretext that his family members were suffering from Covid-19. The accused no 1, informed that he has three injections and each would cost Rs 25,000. Upon agreeing to the amount the accused no. 1 delivered the injections and accordingly he was apprehended. In his voluntary statement the accused no. 1 stated that he had procured the injections from the Petitioner herein. Apprehending arrest, the Petitioner approached the sessions court which rejected the application.

The petitioner before the high court submitted that he is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the case by accused no. 1 who has been granted bail. There is no recovery from him and he is ready to abide by the conditions which may be imposed by the court while granting him anticipatory bail.

The prosecution opposed the plea and said, "The accused persons have demanded seven times more than the actual rate of medicine and they have misused the circumstances of the people who are suffering from Covid-19 and have sold the same in black market for their greediness."

Accordingly the court dismissed the petition.

Case Title: Chetan C V v. State of Karnataka.

Case No: Criminal Petition 5141/2021

Date of Order: November 8, 2021.

Appearance: Advocate K P Bhuvan, for petitioner; Advocate Mahesh Shetty, for respondent

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