Delhi High Court noted that the politicians had “no business” to hoard such medicines, especially when citizens are suffering and facing shortage of drugs.

The Delhi Police on May 17 submitted a preliminary report before the Delhi High Court on the alleged “medical mafia-politicians nexus” for hoarding of essential drugs for treating COVID19. Politicians, such as BJP MP Gautam Gambhir and All India Youth Congress President Srinivas B V, were called “alleged black-marketeers” in the petition.In the status report, the Delhi Police claimed that there was no proof to suggest that either Gambhir or Srinivas committed fraud to hoard medicines for political gains.“The enquiry conducted so far has revealed that all the persons alleged to have been hoarding medicines, etc, were actually helping people get medical aid in the form of medicine, oxygen, plasma or hospital bed. The persons enquired into had not charged any money for the help provided and, thus, no one has been defrauded. The distribution/help was voluntary and without discrimination.”Delhi PoliceThe status report was filed in a petition by Dr Deepak Singh, alleging hoarding of medicines by political leaders and seeking a probe into medical mafia-politicians nexus.However, the Delhi Police sought at least six weeks to fully examine the allegations and conclude the probe. The preliminary report was filed by the Delhi Police after Srinivas’ questioning by the Crime Branch on May 14.While hearing a PIL on the COVID-19 crisis in Delhi, the Delhi High Court on Monday categorically stated that political leaders should refrain from hoarding drugs used for COVID treatment for political gains.The Bench led by Justice Vipin Sanghi noted that the politicians had “no business” hoarding such medicines, especially when citizens are suffering and facing a shortage of drugs.While the court did not issue any direction to take strict action against such political leaders, it simply asked them to “correct themselves”.“Political leaders have no business to hoard stocks. If their intention is to do public good, then they should surrender the same to the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) who will then distribute it among government hospitals.”Delhi High CourtWhile rapping the politicians for hoarding medicines, the court also directed the Delhi Police to conduct a thorough and timely investigation and submit a status report.“You owe a duty to people. This is not the way, By six weeks, the issue may not exist.”Delhi High CourtThe Congress party on Friday, 14 May, alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah had sent the police to the Youth Congress office in Delhi for questioning its leader Srinivas BV and other party workers engaged in COVID relief work.Speaking to The Quint, Srinivas confirmed that the Delhi Police had questioned him.“They asked me questions, all of which I answered. I don’t want to comment any further. Will keep helping people,” he saidIn a scathing attack on the Modi government, Congress leader and spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala took to Twitter to allege that the Centre considered “helping people a crime".Surjewala said, “Is helping people with oxygen a crime? Is helping dying patients with Remdesivir a crime? Is helping patients with medicines a crime? Is it a crime to arrange for beds and ventilators? Is providing food to the kin of COVID-affected patients and ambulance drivers a crime? It looks like, according to Narendra Modi, it is a crime. That is why PM Modi and Amit Shah sent the police to the Youth Congress office to question Srinivas and other party workers.”“Is it a sin to provide the necessary help to the people that the Modi government could not help them with?” he said, adding that the party will help people even if everybody is arrested.

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Srinivas, Gambhir Helped People, Didn’t Hoard Meds: Delhi Police

The Delhi HC said that politicians should refrain from hoarding drugs used for COVID treatment for political gains.

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Topics: Delhi Police Delhi High Court Gautam Gambhir