Trinamool Congress MP Mimi Chakraborty Busts COVID-19 Vaccination Drive In Kolkata

Member of Parliament in Lok Sabha and Trinamool Congress party member Mimi Chakraborty found out about a 'fake' COVID-19 vaccination drive going on in Kolkata's New Market area, according to reports.

Chakraborty told Hindustan Times Bangla that she got herself vaccinated at the same centre and got suspicious after she did not get any message or certificate post the procedure. She then investigated the people running the centre which led to arrests by police.

In her statement to HT Bangla, Chakraborty said, "I received a message that a vaccination drive was launched by the joint commissioner of Kolkata Municipal Commission for transgender and differently-abled people. They asked me to go for the vaccination drive as it would encourage people to get their jabs. I went there to inspire people and also got vaccinated."

Mimi Chakraborty said that it struck her that she did not get any message after vaccination neither a vaccination certificate. When she asked for the certificate she was told that she get it in some time, "Immediately asked my office to enquire if people present at the site received registration messages, to which the people present said that they have not received any such message."

According to the parliamentarian, the vaccination drive was immediately stopped after that. The police arrested Debanjan Deb, a middle-aged man who was posing as an IAS rank officer and Commissioner of Calcutta Corporation. The police reportedly also recovered items such as masks and sanitisers with the logo of the Kolkata civic body on them along with fake identity cards.

The police are yet to determine if the vials used at the said vaccination centre were real or fake. The Covishield labelled vials have been sent to a lab for inspection. The authorities are investigating how the people running the fake vaccination site got access to the vials.