So far, 14 people have been arrested in connection with the scheme, which saw as many as 2,500 people injected with saline solution instead of the COVID-19 vaccine at around 12 vaccination sites in Mumbai and Bengal over the past two months, CNN, The New York Times, and CBS News report.
Among those arrested are medical professionals, including Doctor Shivraj Pataria and his wife Neeta Pataria — the owners of the Shivam Hospital in Mumbai. The hospital, which was allegedly aiding the scam, has reportedly been sealed as the investigation continues.
"Those arrested are charged under criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery," said Vishal Thakur, a police officer in Mumbai, according to the NYT.
The case was first flagged to police last month after some of the individuals who thought they received the vaccine were suspicious that none of their vaccination certificates appeared on the government's online portal.
Organizers of the vaccination sites were charging recipients between $10 to $17 for their doses. Authorities recovered around $28,000 during their investigation.
Lawyer Siddharth Chandrashekhar has filed a public interest lawsuit in Mumbai's high court. In a separate status report, the court chided the government that it is "really shocking that incidents of fake vaccination are on the rise," according to the NYT.
India has been attempting to boost vaccination efforts amid fears of another wave of the coronavirus. Earlier this year, as cases surged, the government was accused of releasing false numbers and information about the growing death rate.
Experts say the actual number of COVID cases could be 30 times higher than what's been reported, according to CNN.
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