MUMBAI: The Kanjurmarg police have booked five members of a Solapur-based trust for organising a blood donation camp allegedly without permission on February 24, where 28 persons donated blood. The accused claimed that they were organising the camp on the behalf of a blood bank in Pune and lured donors with the promise of giving them smart watches, said police officials.
The accused were identified as Samadhan Mane-Deshmukh, Kiran Patil, Sharad Harnmare, Shankar Patil, and Suhas Patil. According to the police, the complainant, Prashant Aswar, 51, attached with the FDA as a drug inspector at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Bandra (East) stated that on February 24, a government officer intimated him that a blood donation camp was underway near the Saibaba Pimpleshwar temple in Kanjurmarg without due permissions. The persons who were conducting the camp were not certified medical officers, nurses or technicians, while the blood donors were being given smart watches, he told the inspector.
When Aswar visited the camp, they found Mane Deshmukh at the registration counter, the complainant stated. Deshmukh claimed he was a public relations officer with the Muktai Blood Centre of Solapur, and the trust had a branch in Pune. He claimed the camp was organised upon directions from one Sumit Jethe, who was present at the venue. During verification, Jethe claimed he had organised the camp and distributed smart watches to donors to mark his birthday, said FDA official.
Deshmukh also showed Aswar the license of the Solapur-based trust and a list of staff members. But when the FDA official cross-checked with the staff present at the venue, he found a mismatch. He immediately alerted other authorities about the matter and the camp was suspended, he noted in the complaint.
The Kanjurmarg police registered a case against the five accused under section 420 (cheating) and relevant sections of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, said senior inspector Uttam Pachpute.
