Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Apr 19 (IANS): Prashant Shukla, one of the three arrested with 265 vials of Remdesivir last week, has tested positive for Covid-19.

The police had arrested Prashant and two others, including Mohan Soni and Haryana resident Sachin Kumar, on charges of black marketing of Remdesivir vials.

As per protocol, the accused were tested after being arrested.

"Prashant, one among them tested positive for the virus. As a precautionary measure, we have asked our men to undergo Covid test," said ACP Vikas Kumar Pandey.

The police official said, "Once we received the test results of the accused, we immediately shifted him to a Covid care facility."

STF sources said that they have been trying to crack the nexus to curb black-marketing of Covid vials. There were inputs that of the 265 Remdesivir injection vials were supposed to be supplied to local medicine dealers, besides Haryana resident Sachin Kumar.

"We are zeroing in on the local pharma distributors, and expecting an early breakthrough. It also came to light that the injections were sent to Kanpur resident Mohan Soni by one Apoorva Mukherjee of West Bengal, who is associated with a pharma company. As Mohan was supposed to take back his Rs one lakh from Apoorva, the latter instead had sent him vials against the cash," senior police official informed.

The Kanpur unit of Special Task Force (STF) had, on Thursday, arrested three persons with 265 Remdesivir injections meant for sale in black market.

Remdesivir is a key medicine, used in the treatment of coronavirus. Taking advantage of the shortage, some people have been selling the vials at high prices.

DCP South Raveena Tyagi had stated that Prashant Shukla of Pashupati Nagar and Baktauri Purwa resident Mohan Soni were earlier arrested.