Amid the strong resistance displayed by government officials and common citizens in fighting against the deadly COVID-19 virus that is now been declared as a pandemic, Central Crime Branch in Bengaluru seized fake hand sanitizers worth 56 lakhs.
Ever since the virus broke out in the Wuhan province of China, it has infected 255,924 people across 184 countries claiming 10,495 deaths. The treatment protocol or the vaccine for the virus is still undiscovered. The World Health Organization (WHO) advised the world to wash hands using hand sanitizers for 20 seconds and avoid touching your face, eyes, nose, and ears. Since the advisory has been followed promptly around the world, the demand for hand sanitizers has soared. While some cities and states reported a shortage of hand sanitizers, some have started to manufacture their own.
According to the latest report from the capital city of Bengaluru, a racket of fake hand sanitizers have been busted in the city. The Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) of Central Crime Branch conducted raids on two factories seizing fake sanitizers worth 56 lakh rupees and arresting the two from the site.
No New Cases in Karnataka Today
While the state saw a recovered case today and witnessed no new positive cases, the racket of fake hand sanitizers comes as a shock to the people. During a medical crisis like the one at hand, these kinds of rackets are bound to have serious repercussions and can even result in fatality. The government is likely to conduct further raids to burst the racket down before it has made significant damage.
As of March 20th, the number of positive cases in the country touched 252. With 4 fatalities and 23 recovered cases, the number of active cases in the country is at 225. In terms of states, Maharashtra is the worst hit with 51 active cases followed by Kerala with 37 active cases while Karnataka is at 13 active cases. The number of active cases rose by 55 on March 20th.
With over 22 States and Union territories under partial lockdown, the country as one continues to fight the virus for yet another day.
