Group of lawyers write to CJI over black marketing of oxygen, key drugs

The group of lawyers includes the founder of Justice For Rights Foundation Satyam Singh Rajput

A group of lawyers, including the founder of Justice For Rights Foundation, Satyam Singh Rajput, have written an open letter to newly-appointed Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana and have requested him to look into the black marketing of oxygen and Remdesivir injection, Fabiflue and other life-saving medicines across the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rajput, in his eight-page letter, stated that approximately 54.5 per cent of patient admission during the second wave of coronavirus required supplemental oxygen during the treatment and it showed the necessity of oxygen and some people are storing it without having the licence and are selling oxygen cylinders at a higher price.

He further stated that due to the black marketing of oxygen and Remdesivir injection, Tocilizumab and some other life-saving medicines/injections, many people are losing their lives as they cannot afford to pay such a hefty amount to the black marketers.

Some hospitals and doctors are also allegedly involved in this "crime" and they are demanding injections from the attendant of the patient, who are having a tough time to purchase, Rajput claimed.

"They (doctors) are not using that injection for the benefit of the coronavirus patient, rather they are giving that injection to some people who are involved with them in this black marketing so that he/she can sell it to some other person at an abnormal price," the letter stated.

"For the last few days, the entire country is facing the shortage of oxygen and lifesaving injections, and the same injection is made available by some persons on 10 times the higher price. We have also got to know about the black marketing of oxygen and Remdesivir and some other life-saving drugs from some national news channels which makes it clear that majority of public is affecting due to this," Rajput said in his letter to the CJI.

So, there should be some special team of Nodal officers who will look in the matter of black marketing of the same and the one who is found guilty must be punished by appropriate law, the letter said.

The lawyers, besides Rajput, who have written the open letter to the CJI Ramana, included --advocate Amit Kumar Sharma, Abhijeet Kumar Bhatt and Ayush Kumar Upadhyay, a law student.