High Court to hear plea by father of girl alleged to have died from a Covid-19 shot

The Bombay High Court will take up on Thursday a petition filed by a parent who has alleged that his daughter's death was linked to the side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine she was administered. The petitioner has demanded ₹1,000 crore as compensation from the manufacturer of Covishield, the vaccine she had received in January this year. In September, the court had sought a response on the petition from Serum Institute of India (SII), the manufacturer of the Covid-19 vaccine, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and the central government.

Dilip Lunawat, the father of the deceased, alleged that his daughter, Snehal Lunawat, was asked to take the Covid-19 vaccine at her college in Nashik in January.Snehal was then a doctor and senior lecturer at a dental college and hospital in Maharashtra. The petitioner said Snehal was administered Covishield, developed by Pune-based SII.

While the National Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) committee has confirmed that she died due to vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia, her family is concerned about the inadequate response from the government and vaccine maker SII.