'Fake Vaccine Camp' Case: Four Held; Producer, Too, Suspects Scam

Ramesh Taurani suspects that the COVID vaccine drive he arranged for his staff was fake.

Producer Ramesh Taurani suspects being duped by fake COVID vaccine scam.

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram)

Four people have been arrested in a case of an alleged 'fake vaccination camp' that was organised by a housing society in Mumbai, as per a report by NDTV. Mumbai Police have said that the arrests have been made after recording statements of the residents.

Film producer Ramesh Taurani, who heads Tips Industries Ltd., is also concerned that he, too, may be a victim of the same scam. He told India Today that 356 of his employees were vaccinated on 30 May and 3 June, but are yet to receive their certificates.

Taurani told the publication, "We are still waiting for the certificates, and when we contacted Sanjay Gupta from SP Events he said they will come by 12 June. We got 356 people vaccinated and paid Rs 1200 per dose plus GST. More than the money we are worried what was given to us. Was it Covishield or saline water?".

The India Today report also states that a similar vaccination racket hit a society in Mumbai's Kandivili. Several other production houses have also reportedly faced a similar situation. Approximately 150 employees and their families of Matchbox Pictures were reportedly given their first shots on 29 May; incidentally via SP Events, the same group of people who conducted the vaccination drive at Kandivali's Hiranandani Estate Society.

The employees were reportedly informed they would get their certificates from Kokilaben Dhirubai Ambani Hospital. However, after weeks, they received certificates from Nanavati Hospital, but the date of receiving the vaccine was mentioned as 12 June.

A Matchbox Pictures employee told India Today, "After receiving our shots we didn't get any certificates because the company said there was a delay owing to a backlog. We were worried because we didn't experience post-vaccination symptoms".

Matchbox Pictures' producer Sanjay Rautray refuted these claims. "I don't want to comment till I have facts".