Mumbai: Social activist Vijay Kumbhar on Tuesday slammed the administration of the government-run pharmaceutical company Haffkine Bio Pharma Corporation Limited for giving additional charge as general manager (production) to deputy manager Navnath Garje, who had earlier faced allegations of corruption.
Taking to social media platform X, Kumbhar posted some official letters mentioning Garje had been found guilty of corruption, and wondered why Haffkine Bio Pharma chairman and managing director Sunil Mahindrakar had given the “plum position” to a “junior official”.
Speaking to HT, Garje denied the allegations.
“I had terminated a security officer, Chandrakant Hinge, in 2014 and the allegations have been levelled by him. He has pressured the administration due to rivalry. Now, our MD Mahindrakar has sent a report to the administration,” he said.
In the order dated February 20 handing Garje additional charge as general manager (production), Mahindrakar said that while another official had refused to take up the position owing to medical reasons, Garje was well-qualified as he had an MSc in biochemistry and more than 26 years of experience in Haffkine Bio Pharma.
On Tuesday, Kumbhar questioned his appointment by sharing a letter dated November 7, 2025 from food and drug administration (FDA) minister Narhari Jhirwal to medical education secretary Dheeraj Kumar, who supervises work of Haffkine Bio Pharma. A copy of the letter was sent to deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar who died in a plane crash on January 28.
According to the letter, Garje and two other officials had been accused of embezzlement and corruption in purchase and sale transactions pertaining to Haffkine Bio Pharma. Though the departmental inquiry committee and the state anti-corruption bureau subsequently found them guilty, no action was taken against the officials, the letter said.
“Accordingly, immediate action should be taken and a report of the action taken should be submitted to the government within 15 days,” the minister said in the letter shared by Kumbhar.
The activist also shared another letter dated November 2, 2025, from the deputy speaker of the legislative assembly, Anna Bansode, to chief secretary Rajesh Aggarwal. In the letter, Bansode said he had convened a meeting on September 11, 2025 regarding allegations of corruption at Haffkine Bio Pharma and inquiries by the anti-corruption bureau were underway against Garje and another official.
Aggarwal did not respond to calls and messages from HT.
In the order appointing Garje, Mahindrakar had said the officer had extensive knowledge in the production and quality assurance departments at Haffkine and proven track record in polio and antisera production at the company’s Pimpri unit. Garje’s technical knowledge and expertise would benefit the company, particularly in ongoing and upcoming projects at Pimpri, the order said.
Speaking to HT about the issue, Mahindrakar said Garje had not been held guilty in any case, though several allegations had been leveled since 2014.
“There are very few people who work. Hence we sent a report to the government and gave him additional charge,” he said.
Kumbhar, however, alleged that Mahindrakar too was embroiled in corruption and he had purchased personal gym equipment and computers using Haffkine funds. Mahindrakar refused to comment on the allegations.
In the post on X, Kumbhar said that while Dr Waldemar Haffkine, after whom Haffkine Bio Pharma was named, dedicated his life for humanity, the institution bearing his name stood accused of corruption, suppression, manipulation, and administrative arrogance.
“If ministerial authority can be mocked this easily, what hope does an ordinary citizen have? This is not just corruption. This is institutional capture,” Kumbhar said in his X post.