The Kolkata Police today arrested a man posing as an IAS officer and conducting a fake KMC Covid-19 vaccination drive at Kasba after the Trinamul MP and actress, Mimi Chakraborty, along with 200 other people realised they
were duped since no certificates were issued to any of the individuals post-vaccination.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the state health department have begun internal inquiries relating to the fraud. The vaccine ampules were sent for examination to determine their authenticity.

The accused, identified as Debanjan Deb (28), a resident of Madurdaha posed as an IAS officer and a joint municipal commissioner of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and ran a ‘KMC vaccination camp’ at Kasba, Rajdanga
area for the past 10 days, the police found out. Deb even used to travel in a car with a blue beacon that convinced his neighbours and parents he was indeed a bureaucrat.

A preliminary probe revealed he failed the IAS exams and pulled off the stunt
to convince his family he has become a bureaucrat, said DC South of Kolkata Police, Rashid Munir Khan.

At least 200 people visited the camp to get vaccinated. The TMC MP, Mimi Chakraborty said she was sent a message on her phone wherein Deb, claiming to be the joint municipal commissioner, invited her to the camp so her presence can motivate the people receiving their shots.

On Tuesday, she too got inoculated there along with the rest. However, post-vaccination, she never received any certificate which is generally issued right after getting the shot. When Mimi enquired she was told that it would be sent
by the time she returns home.

However, her employees soon reached the centre to ask for it. They were told it will be issued in another two to three days. This caused suspicion and Mimi Chakraborty began making inquiries where she discovered none of the attendees received their certificates. She then informed the police who arrested the man today.

It was learned that the accused had other forged identities too, such as an officer on special duty (OSD) and joint secretary in the I&CA department.
Presently, the ampules of what was claimed to be the Covishield vaccine, have been sent for examination.

If these turn out to be real vaccines then where did the accused procure it from since vaccines are only coming to the state government and to private hospitals; this is one question the police are trying to find answers to. Deb has told police he procured a batch of them from Bagri market and the rest from the health department.

The KMC board chairman, Firhad Hakim has ordered an internal inquiry and confirmed that KMC had not given any permission for the vaccination drive and termed it “fake”. “To set up a vaccine camp, permission needs to be obtained from the municipal commissioner and the state health department. We are investigating as to whether anyone from KMC was involved,” he said.