A Mumbai-based lawyer has filed a writ petition in the Bombay high court seeking z+ security for Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla who, in an interview to a British newspaper, talked about life threats in India for vaccines against Covid-. "If vaccine makers are threatened with life, then they will not be able to produce a vaccine to its fullest resources...If Mr Adar Poonawalla is out of India due to fear to his life, then it will be Ship in Storm without its Captain. Last month, the Union home ministry accorded Y category security to Poonawalla after Serum Institute of India director Prakash Kumar Singh wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah. Adar Poonawalla faced controversy over differential pricing of vaccines between the Centre and the state governments. Claiming pressure from several influential people for vaccines, Adar Poonawalla told The Times that he had been receiving aggressive calls from some of the most powerful people in India, demanding supplies of Covishield.

Source: Hindustan Times May 06, 2021 03:33 UTC