Re: AIDS vaccine trials in India: Ethical questions

[Guest guest]

[This is in response to the posting " AIDS vaccine trials in India: Ethical

questions By Sandhya Srinivasan]

Dear Sandhya Srinivasan,

With reference to your article " AIDS vaccine trials in India: Ethical

questions " , I have to bring to your kind notice that, you have roped in my

name 'out-of context' and attibuted fallacious information with my name.

Firstly my name is I.S.Gilada and not I.H.Gilada. I appreciate and share

your concerns about the vaccine trials in India.

Secondly, neither I had conducted any vaccine trial, nor I was arrested

under that offence. My arrest was a part of a Foul play by a high-ranking

police officer (DCP Mr. Venkateshan), against whom my NGO - People's Health

Organisation (India) had filed a complaint with the National Human Rights

Commission (NHRC) for the forcible HIV testing of sex workers of Kamatipura

and Falkland Road redlight areas in Mumbai through -Municipal

Corporation-Police combine and where they had to provide undertaking to the

NHRC that no more forced testing of Sex Workers will be done.

I was made a scape-goat for the actions/ crime commited by three American

people - two from USA and one stationed in Mumbai. It was an engineered FIR

filed by sister of a patient -Girdhar Singh Verma who was given BIV Vaccine

by the American group and who worked with Dr.S.K.Hira at ARCON, the

mastermind behind BIV trial (and not families of some of the patients as

mentioned in the article).

Several fictitious charges were applied with manupulations, u/s 170, 418,

419, 304A, 34 IPC and section 13 of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, for allegedly

causing death due to negligence of an AIDS patient in 1998; who actually died at

J.J.Hospital; while he was actually under treatment of Dr.S.K.Hira.

I had no role-whatsover to play, as I left my service at J.J.Hospital in 1991

and I never treated that patient after 1993 even my private practice. One of the

fictitious section applied was for 'Cheating by Impersonation' - that I

impersonated as a government person and my organisation as a government

organisation.

What a white lie! The entire world knows than I represent an NGO and I often

fight the governmental inefficacies and apathy. How can I impersonate as a

government person? They used this section, which is a non-bailable offence, to

keep me detained, 'for investigations'.

Its over three years since my arrest on 23rd April 1999, I did not receive

any Charge Sheet. What was shocking is that the Accused No. 3 in the case is

shown as Dr. Subhash Khimandas Hira, the main person in the matter of the

death of Mr. Girdhar Verma and he has been shown as absconding consistently

for last 3 years in police and court records, where he is shown as Wanted

accused and abscondiing; while all of us know that this person is very much

present in Mumbai, is in public eye and is under the nose of authorities.

This itself speaks volumes about the role of police in keeping him

'absconding'. More over this person is sitting on several of the AIDS

Vaccine committees and meetings to pursue his agenda of vaccine trials under

to guise of being a resercher of international repute and under protection

of politicians by misguiding them.

Ironically, the police got my remands extended on three occasions on the

basis of FALSE statements made in writing in the remand applications and in

open court; they were

(a) The post-mortem report is awaited and that I can tamper with the report.

( The co-accused Dr.Hira was absconding and till he was arrested I cannot

be released.

I have filed a case against the Police with NHRC in 1999, where in the NHRC

Chairperson had issued notice to the Police Commissioner questioning him

about my case. My case is still pending with NHRC and truth will come out

and NHRC is the most appropriate authority to intervene in the matter to

provide justice.

It is surprising that the person who is arrested on fictitious grounds and

through a foul play is projected as 'criminal' and the person who commits

the crime, but evades arrest for years is projected/treated as Hero!

In Conclusion, I would like to state that, the Police made out a false case

against me, leveled baseless charges, used personal vengence to harass me,

got the remands on false statements in court. The police action is totally

malafide, perverse and at the behest of vested interest, to protect them on

one hand and to nab innocent persons on the other hand.

I request you to kindly do thorough research, balanced reporting and

incorporate the version of the persons against whom you are mentioning

libelous statements. I am willing to provide you or any other concerned

person more details.

Dr.I.S.Gilada

e-mail: <ihoaids@...>

______________________

[Guest guest]

[Moderator would like to invite the readers to comment on AIDS vaccine trials in

India and ethical questions related to the vaccine trial. Please refrain from

personal battles on this forum. Thanks]

Dear Dr Gilada,

The reference was based on the following report from the BMJ, May 15, 1999.

Your response was in this report but was overlooked and should have been

included. This has been done.

BMJ 1999;318:1308 ( 15 May )News: Doctor in India arrested over irregularities

trial of vaccine Ganapati Mudur , New Delhi

Sandhya Srinivasan

e-MAIL: <sandhya@...>

_____________________