West Bengal: 730 new Covid cases, 8 more die

In the past 24 hours, 86 persons tested positive in North 24 Parganas and in Kolkata, 58 persons tested positive. In Howrah, South 24 Parganas and Hooghly new cases recorded 28, 34, 48 respectively. Purba Medinipur and Paschim Medinipur also recorded 45 and 41 cases.

1 held for ‘illegal vaccination camps’

The police have arrested a man for allegedly organising Covid vaccination camps illegally, in exchange for money.

The suspect, Mithun Mondol, a resident of Sonarpur, works as a vaccine coordinator at a Diamond Harbour sub-primary health centre.

“We have recovered two vials of what appears to be Covid vaccine doses. Further investigation is on as to how many such camps the accused has organised,” said a senior police officer in South 24 Parganas.

The district health department has also constituted a committee to probe the matter.

According to police, they received a tip off that Mondol was holding small-scale vaccination camps in different areas of the district in exchange for money. He took Rs 500 each from the recipients. Police are looking into whether Mondol stole the vials from the health centre he worked at or if the vials are fake. These would be tested, police said.

The Kolkata police had recently arrested Debanjan Deb, who allegedly posed as a IAS offier and organised multiple fake vaccination camps. Later, his accomplices were also arrested.