MP minister faces Cong ire after driver named in Remdevisir black marketing racket

Madhya Pradesh water resources minister Tulsi Silawat found himself at the centre of a political storm on Wednesday after a driver working at his Indore residence was named by an accused arrested for allegedly selling Remdevisir vials at a premium.

Punit Agrawal, a driver working with Indore’s health official Poornima Garadiya, was arrested on Monday for selling Remdevisir vials in the black market to Covid-19 patients. Punit Agrawal told reporters that he bought two vials for ₹14,000 from Govind Rajput, a driver in Silawat’s household, at the request of a local police officer.

The Congress alleged the minister was also involved and demanded a high-level probe. Tulsi Silawat, who represents Indore’s Sanwer seat in the MP assembly, said he had no connection with the activities of the driver, who he had hired via a local travel agency a few months ago to help out at home.

“I don’t know about his activities, but a fair probe should be conducted in the matter,” Tulsi Silawat said.

Indore superintendent of police (east) Ashutosh Bagri said Punit Agrawal was caught red-handed by the police when he was selling Remdesivir vials worth about ₹4,000 for ₹15,000. Bagri said Agrawal told the police during interrogation that Govind Rajput, a driver in the minister’s household, had given him the two vials that he was caught with.

The two drivers, Govind Rajput and Punit Agrawal, worked for the same travel agency which supplies drivers and cars to government offices.

Bagri suggested that the police were yet to conclude that Govind Rajput was involved.

“We are investigating the matter as there are chances that Agrawal is trying to misguide us by taking the name of a person associated with the minister. We are trying to detain Rajput and also collecting evidence,” Ashutosh Bagri said.

A constable and a home guard jawan, who were assigned to ferry Punit Agrawal when he spoke to the media, have been shunted out to the district police lines.

Congress leaders said the policemen were penalised because Punit Agrawal’s statement had embarrassed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Asked for his response, Bagri said they were transferred to the district police lines “for negligence in their duty as they compromised the security of an accused”.