Aurangabad, May 4:
The local court has awarded seven days of police custody remand (PCR) to Aurangabad Municipal Corporation's (AMC) two pharmacy officers, who were held for their involvement in embezzlement of 48 Remdesivir injections, today. They were functioning at AMC's central stores at Bhavaninagar in old Mondha.
The two accused are chief pharmacy officer Vishnu Dagdu Ragade (resident of Marutinagar in Mayur Park) and pharmacy officer (contractual) Pranali Sheshrao Kolhe (resident of Mayur Park).
It may be noted that the AMC had purchased the injections and handed over the store's section for stocking them safely. When the central stores supplied 26 boxes of Remdesivir injections to Meltron CCC during this month, it was found that 48 Remdesivir injections were replaced by 75 MPS injections. When the incident came to light, the AMC administrator ordered a thorough inquiry through the head of stores section and medical officer Balkrishna Rathodkar. During the inquiry, it was revealed that Ragade and Kolhe are responsible for it. Later on, the cases were filed against them at the Jinsi police station. The police arrested the duo on Monday. During the investigation, they both were blaming each other for the irregularity, said the police sources. The keys of stores were also with these two officials only. Hence the police guess that either they or one of them had developed a nexus to embezzle the injections from the stock.
Seven days PCR
Under the guidance of the police inspector Vyankatesh Kendre, the API Sainath Gite produced Ragade and Kolhe before the court. The police demanded PCR saying that both are associated with the government office and inquiry of this serious issue is at the primary level. Besides, they had embezzled the injections during the epidemic situation. The investigation has to be done to whom they had given the injections; who are their accomplice in the crime, etc. Hence the court awarded the seven days PCR today.