Delhi High Court on Monday made scathing observations against the Drugs Controller of Delhi for not properly probing the role of politicians like BJP MP Gautam Gambhir in procuring a huge quantity of Covid-19 drug Fabiflu. The court also pulled up Gambhir for making irresponsible statements when the matter is under probe.
“You (Drugs Controller) can’t take us for a ride. If you think we are so gullible, so naive, we are not,” a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Jasmeet Singh said, adding people’s tendency to appear as saviours has to be denounced.
The court said its confidence in the drug controller has “shaken completely” and rejected as “trash” its status report on enquiry into procurement of the medicine by the cricketer-turned-politician Gambhir.
“There is a fundamental error of approach. The manner in which you have conducted the investigation is questionable,” it said. The Bench took strong exception to the drug controller’s report, which concluded that the dealers had ample stock to supply to others, and said everyone knows that the medicine was in short supply and while Gambhir bought thousands of strips of the medicine, other people who needed it could not get it on that day.
“Please don’t tell us there is no shortage. We know there was a shortage. You don’t have to swallow the report. You have to question your officers. You (drug controller) are wrong to say it was not in short supply. You want us to shut our eyes. You think you would get away with this.
“You better do your job. If you can’t do your job, tell us, we will have you suspended and let someone else do your job,” said Judges. The bench also pulled up Gambhir for again making a statement that he will continue to do such work. “We have already said it is a malpractice. This tendency of people trying to take advantage and then trying to appear as a saviour when they themselves created the problem has to be denounced. And then the person goes on to state he would do it again. If it continues, we know how to deal with it,” the bench said.
“Thousands of strips he is obtaining. On the day people needed it, they were not able to buy it. Time was of essence. He bought more than what is required. How is it that the dealer has sold it to a foundation,” it asked while pointing out that 285 strips are lying unused.
The court also perused the status reports of an inquiry conducted over allegations of procuring and hoarding medical oxygen made against AAP MLAs Priti Tomar and Praveen Kumar. The court accepted the report filed on allegations against Tomar, but it rejected the status reports filed regarding Gambhir and Kumar, calling them “trash” and granted three days’ time to the Drug Controller to file better reports and listed the case for hearing on June 3.
“Our confidence in you (drug controller) has shaken completely. Let’s be very clear about this. Now it is up to you to build that confidence again or not,” it said.