Police search for new leads to expired medical kit case

Kolkata, Oct 16 (UNI) In an effort to get new leads in the expired medical kits case, police have launched a massive manhaunt to bring the culprits to book.

Police today seized a consignment of expired medical kit from a blood bank in Beharampur. The kit, supplied by Monozyme India Private Ltd, would be used to test blood group, police said.

Earlier, police searches of the Monozyme India Private Ltd godowns as well as the stores of government hospitals have led to the seizure of 87,000 expired blood diagnostic kits in 70 cartoon supplied by the company. The kits were meant for testing for Hepatitis-B and C viruses, the sources said.

Police would investigate whether expired kit meant for testing HIV were also supplied to private hospitals and nursing homes. The samples of the expired kit had been sent to Central Forensic Science Laboratory here and the Central Blood Research Centre in Noida to test their efficacy.

Two cases were registered for tampering with the expiry dates of the kit and for flouting rules of Drug and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

Sarda and his associate Anand Mallu were arrested on September 28.

Anand Mallu, the Managing Director of Secundrabad-based Monozyme India Private Ltd was arrested from Secundrabad besides Bimal Daga, a close associate of Sarda, the majority shareholder and director of the company.

Last evening, police raided the Alipore house of jute baron Govind Sarda, arrested in the expired medical kit case.

However, they found his sons wanted in the same case absconding.

Sarda's three sons are suspected to be involved in his business in which Monozyme India Private Ltd supplied different hospitals in West Bengal thousands of expired blood diagnostic kit, police said.

UNI TJP SJC/SRC1646