Lawyer moves Bombay High Court seeking Z+ security for Adar Poonawalla after threats

By LE Desk

Mumbai, May 6: A Mumbai-based lawyer has filed a petition in Bombay High Court seeking Z+ security cover for Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer of the Serum Institute of India (SII), which manufactures the Covishield vaccine. 

The petition filed by Advocate Datta Mane also sought registration of FIR against persons who allegedly threatened Poonawalla in relation to the supply of the vaccine.

Mane’s petition states that if vaccine makers feel unsafe, then it may affect vaccine production, India Today reported. 

“If Adar Poonawalla is out of India due to fear to his life, then it will be ship in a storm without its captain,” the plea stated. The plea said that Poonawalla’s life and assets of SII “which is world’s biggest vaccine producing institute which produces Covid-19 vaccine namely Covishield” should be protected.

Mane has relied upon media reports that stated that Poonawalla left for the United Kingdom due to fear and constant pressure from powerful people, including chief ministers and business tycoons, for the supply of vaccines. Mane submitted that he was shocked and surprised when Poonawalla claimed in an interview that he was being threatened by powerful people.

Mane put out some data about how many people have been vaccinated so far and how many more are to vaccinate. He said that vaccinating a population of over 1.3 billion people is a challenge. He added that India has, to date, given 15,40,00,000 doses to its population which is only about 2% of the total population.

“Failure to contain the pandemic in India could have disastrous consequences with widespread cases and thousands of death that could easily overwhelm the health care infrastructure,” it was submitted.

It was also pointed out that Poonawalla had been granted ‘Y’ category security cover by the Home Ministry, however, the security granted seemed to be inadequate as Poonawalla left the country after such security was granted.

Mane claimed that he had filed a complaint with the Commissioner of Pune Police and the Director-General of Police, Maharashtra. He also claimed that the Maharashtra government had requested Poonawalla to register a complaint, so that action could be taken against such people pressurising him.

https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/mumbai-lawyer-moves-bombay-high-court-seeking-z-security-for-adar-poonawalla-after-threat-1799331-2021-05-06