Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said the Maharashtra government must assure the Serum Institute of India's (SII) CEO, Adar Poonawalla, of requisite security in the wake of alleged threats to him over the supply of the Covishield vaccine manufactured by his company.
It said the state's top officials must personally speak to Poonawalla, who recently went to London, and assure him of his safety upon his return to India.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by lawyer Datta Mane, seeking Z-plus security for Poonawalla.
Read:|Maharashtra tells vaccine maker to file complaint on threat
The Union government has already granted 'Y' category security to the Pune-based industrialist.
The petitioner, through his counsel Pradip Havnur, told the HC that as per news reports, Poonawalla had been living in fear due to constant pressure from politicians and some others demanding that he provide more supply of the Covishield vaccine to their states.
Mane's plea said Poonawalla had left for London due to such threats.
Notably, Poonawalla had said in a recent interview to The Times that he has been receiving threats and pressure from 'powerful people' seeking vaccine doses on priority.
On Tuesday, the Maharashtra government's counsel, Deepak Thakare told the HC that the state had provided Y-category security to Poonawalla as per which, some CRPF personnel and two gunmen from the state police will remain available for his security round-the-clock.
He further said the state was taking stock of the situation and would consider providing Z-plus security to Poonawalla upon his return to the country.
At this, the bench said the state must not consider the petition as adversarial litigation.