Delhi HC rejects drug controller’s report on Gautam Gambhir over hoarding case | Latest News India

The Delhi High Court on Monday slammed the drug controller’s status report on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gautam Gambhir into the allegation that he and others hoarded essential medicines to treat patients of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Dismissing the report as “trash,” the court said that there is no legal basis for it.

“We reject it here… If you are not being able to do it, then we will get it done by someone else,” it said while hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a first information report (FIR) against Gambhir and others involved in the matter.

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“There is a fundamental error of approach. The manner in which you have conducted the investigation is questionable. You have not examined that as to how a large quantities of drug was given when it was not sought by to the doctor,” the court said. “You haven’t done any exercise on the aspect of as to how such a large consignment of the drug was supplied to the foundation which wasn’t a dealer,” it added.

“How could such a large stock be given to a foundation which is not a medical practitioner, ” the court questioned, adding, “We dare say it is not permissible.”

The court also said that the tendency of people taking advantage and “trying to appear as saviour should be denounced.” “If this happens again. We know how to deal with it. But the gentleman has to realise. You need to be mindful of the strips you’re taking,” it said referring to Gautam Gambhir.

On May 7, the high court directed Delhi Police to investigate the allegations of hoarding of oxygen cylinders and medicines like Fabiflu, acting on a plea by Deepak Singh. However, after days of probing the matter, the police cleared Gambhir and nine others including BV Srinivas, the president of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC), the BJP’s Harish Khurana and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Dilip Pandey.

Following this, the high court ordered Delhi’s drug controller to conduct an independent probe into the allegations. “There is a fundamental error of approach. The manner in which you have conducted the investigation is questionable,” the court also said. “You have not examined that as to how a large quantity of the drugs was given when it was not sought by the doctor,” it added.

However, Gambhir has denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the Gautam Gambhir Foundation had organised a free medical camp between April 22 and May 7 to provide assistance to people suffering from Covid-19. The cricketer-turned-politician said that the camp was organised by a doctor, who had volunteered his services.