Bombay HC asks Maharashtra to address security concerns raised by SII CEO Adar Poonawalla

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said the Maharashtra government must assure the Serum Institute of Indias SII CEO Adar Poonawalla of requisite security in the wake of alleged threats to him over the supply of the Covishield vaccine manufactured by his companyA vacation bench of Justices SS Shinde and Abhay Ahuja said by manufacturing the antiCovid19 vaccine Poonawalla was doing a great service to the nation and the state governments highest functionaries must look into the issue of his securityIt said the states top officials must personally speak to Poonawalla who recently went to London and assure him of his safety upon his return to IndiaThe bench was hearing a petition filed by lawyer Datta Mane seeking Zplus security for PoonawallaAlso read Lucknow man files complaint against Adar PoonawallaThe Union government has already granted Y category security to the Punebased industrialistThe petitioner through his counsel Pradip Havnur told the HC that as per news reports Poonawalla had been living in fear due to constant pressure from politicians and some others demanding that he provide more supply of the Covishield vaccine to their statesManes plea said Poonawalla had left for London due to such threatsNotably Poonawalla had said in a recent interview to The Times that he has been receiving threats and pressure from powerful people seeking vaccine doses on priorityOn Tuesday the Maharashtra governments counsel Deepak Thakare told the HC that the state had provided Ycategory security to Poonawalla as per which some CRPF personnel and two gunmen from the state police will remain available for his security roundtheclockHe further said the state was taking stock of the situation and would consider providing Zplus security to Poonawalla upon his return to the countryAt this the bench said the state must not consider the petition as an adversarial litigationMr Poonawalla is doing a fabulous job He is doing a great service He is serving the nation the HC saidIt further said Poonawalla was now trying to enhance the production of the vaccineThe courts expectation is that someone from the state government must speak to him and assure him that all safety arrangements will be made and security will beprovided to him whenever he is in Maharashtra the HC saidMumbai is the economic capital of the country and Maharashtra is a progressive and modern state it observedIf Mr Poonawalla has expressed any concerns the state must address them the court saidThe bench directed advocate Thakare to speak to the state government officials and convey the courts concernsPlease speak to the highest state functionaries maybe the state Home minister and assurance must be given to him Poonawalla from the top They should talk to him personally the HC saidIt directed the state government to make a statement before the HC on June 10 on the security provided to Poonawalla the number of CRPF personnel that will remain on guard for him and other related issuesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever