High Court Seeks Maharashtra's Reply Over Z-Plus Security For Adar Poonawalla

Adar 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.

The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the Maharashtra government to respond to a petition filed by an advocate seeking Z-plus security for Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of the Serum Institute of India (SII) which manufactures the Covishield vaccine against COVID-19. The petitioner will have to bear in mind while arguing this matter that "India has a good reputation and such proceedings will have an international impact", the HC said. A vacation bench of Justices SS Shinde and NR Borkar noted that Poonawalla was doing a great service to the nation. The Union government has already granted "Y" category security to the Pune-based industrialist.