A petition has been filed in the Bombay High Court seeking registration of FIR against those alleged to have threatened Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India (SII).
The writ petition filed by Advocate Datta Mane additionally seeks directions to the Pune police to provide ‘Z-plus security to Poonawalla and his family and also protect the property of Serum Institute of India.
The petition has been filed in the light of the recent revelations made by Poonawalla in an interview published in the English daily, The Times, wherein Poonawalla told the daily about his decision to shift his family to the UK owing to the threats he had been receiving in India at the hands of Chief Ministers of states and businessmen.
Citing the interview, the petition states that the Y security given to Poonawalla after he left the country was an eyewash, and also seeks protection of the SII properties. The petition notes that Poonawalla, who took over his father's company as CEO in 2001, has given India 15,40,00,000 doses so far, which has helped vaccinate 2% of the country's population. "That about 98% of the population is going to be vaccinated by the govt. If vaccine makers are threatened with life, then they will not be able to produce a vaccine to its fullest resources."
The petitioner says that he also sent an email complaint to the police, but the police took no action and believed that if the property and the lives of Serum institute are not protected, it will only add to the chaos that has been wreaking havoc in the country that will ultimately lead to loss of lives.
