NRI Dr.
Kunal Saha sent legal Notice to Ms. Sujata Rao, NACO Chief
LA, Aug. 13, 2007
Gary Singh
NRI Dr. Kunal Saha, HIV/AIDS expert, took a legal action against
Ms. Sujata Rao, Director General of National AIDS Control Organization
(NACO), for making slanderous defamatory comments against him
in an interview published in the 12th July, 2007 issue of the
Hindustan Times.
Dr. Kunal Saha's lawyer, D. Joe Griffith from Ohio, who is "Board
certified as a Specialist in Cicil Trial Advocacy by the National
Board of Trial Advocacy" has sent a legal notice on Sep.
11, 2007 to Ms. Sujata Rao.
Dr. Saha said:
The NACO chief attacked my professional credibility after I participated
in the investigation of complaints of fraud in the distribution
of HIV-testing kits in India with a team from the World Bank as
an HIV/AIDS expert earlier this year and reported the incriminating
evidences on the use of defective/sub-standard HIV test kits by
different hospitals/blood banks in India that has put the lives
of countless innocent patients in serious danger of contracting
the deadly AIDS virus through contaminated blood supply. I have
previously asked the NACO Chief for an unconditional apology for
making baseless comments against my scientific credibility that
has tarnished my public image and professional reputation. Unfortunately,
she did not respond to my request and as such, I had no other
option but to ask my attorney to send this legal notice before
taking further actions against her.
Transmission of HIV and other deadly viruses like Hepatitis B/C
through contaminated blood is a common occurrence in India. Earlier
this month, we (through "People for Better Treatment"
(PBT), the charitable organization that I've established to help
the victims of medical negligence in India) have filed a PIL in
Calcutta High Court seeking justice for two "thalassemia"
children who became HIV positive through contaminated blood. Ive
also filed an Intervention application before the Supreme Court
of India in the ongoing criminal case (SC SLP Cri. No. 1807/2007)
against Monozyme India Ltd. for supplying fake HIV test kits through
NACO (this case is listed in the SC for final hearing on 21st
September, 2007).
My sole purpose of exposing the facts about the use of spurious
HIV-testing kits in Indian hospitals/blood banks (which I gathered
during my investigation as a part of the World Bank team) was
to stop the spread of HIV through tainted blood supply. It is
truly unfortunate that rather than taking the right steps to probe
the evidence of bogus HIV kits that Ive produced, the NACO head
has chosen to personally attack me with an aim to stop our endeavor
of exposing a heinous crime like production of specious HIV kits
that can spread the deadly AIDS virus through contaminated blood.
I urge you to ask the NACO Director about her silence about the
supply of sub-standard HIV diagnostic kits in India which I have
produced.
You can contact me or Mr. D. Joe Griffith, my attorney in the
USA (contact info in the attached legal notice) or senior advocate
in Delhi, Mr. M.N. Krishnamani (Tel: 9811065316) for further information.
