On Wednesday, ED conducted raids in at least 10 locations around Kolkata in in connection with the fake Covid vaccine jab racket busted by the Kolkata Police earlier this year.

The agency is also looking into the allegations of illegal sale of oxygen cylinders and remdesivir, a medicine used in treating Covid-19 patients. ED officials divided into ten teams to search as many places.

In June this year, Kolkata Police busted a racket allegedly run by Debanjan Deb, a 28-year-old masquerading as a bureaucrat. More than 800 people, including TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty, were duped into taking the fake vaccines. Police arrested eight persons, including Deb.

ED officials started a probe into the money laundering aspect of the alleged fake vaccine scam in July.

The racket triggered a political slugfest between the TMC and the BJP. While the BJP alleged that the mastermind had links with senior TMC leaders, the latter rubbished the charges. The TMC later released a picture in which Deb’s security guard could be seen standing behind the West Bengal governor.

The Centre asked the West Bengal government to file a report in connection with the racket, even as the Calcutta high court directed the state to file an affidavit. “Raids were conducted in multiple places including Deb’s residence, a medicine shop, some offices and godowns,” said a senior police official.

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