Bill Gates, Serum Institute get Bombay High Court notice over alleged vaccine death

MUMBAI, India

The Bombay High Court on Friday issued notices and sought responses from the Serum Institute of India (SII) and Microsoft founder Bill Gates in a plea filed by Dilip Lunawat who alleged that his daughter died due to the side effects of Covishield. The petitioner demanded Rs 1000 crores as compensation for his loss.

In 2020, the Serum Institute of India entered into a partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to speed up the process of manufacturing and delivery of up to 100 million doses of Covidshield vaccines for India and other third-world countries.

Other respondents in the petition include the Union of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Drug Controller General of India, Dr VG Somani, Drug Controller General and Dr Randeep Guleria, Director of AIIMS.

Dilip Lunawat, a resident of Aurangabad, told the court that his daughter was a doctor and senior lecturer at the SMBT dental college and hospital at Dhamangaon. He said his daughter was compelled to take the vaccine after all the health workers at the institute were asked to get it.

He said his daughter was assured that the vaccines were completely safe and had no risk or threats to her body. In the plea, Lunawat said Dr Somani and Guleria had given several interviews and assured the people that the vaccines were safe.

He also attached his daughter’s vaccine certificate from January 28, 2021. She died on March 1, 2021, due to the “side effects of the Covishield vaccine,” said the petition. The plea added that this was reflected in the central government’s own Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) report on October 2, 2021.

Dilip Lunawat said he wanted to give justice to his daughter and also save the lives “of many more people who are likely to be murdered due to such unlawful activities of the respondent authorities.”