Friday 29th Mar 2024
Health

KUMBH SCAM: FIR Against Pvt Labs for Fake Covid Report

KUMBH SCAM: FIR Against Pvt  Labs for Fake Covid Report

News Desk: The Uttarakhand Police has lodged an FIR against a private agency and two laboratories for supposedly handing out fake rapid antigen test reports during the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar just to reap profits.

It is after Chief Medical Officer S K Jha filed a complaint to the police that a three-member investigation panel, set up by the Haridwar district magistrate, furnished an introductory report on Wednesday. This came almost after a month since the state health department received a grievance from ICMR on May 14.

The complaint cited that an individual’s Aadhaar and mobile number were being used for a Covid-19 test , though no sample was collected from him.

As per the CMO’s grievance, the investigation panel establish that the company made a huge amount of entries on the similar sample ID: like 3,825 samples were obtained from a particular address and 56 people enrolled with a single phone number. ‘The firm made fake entries to make profit,’ noted the grievance.

Haridwar SSP Santhil Avodai Krishna Raj S told, ‘On the CMO’s complaint, an FIR has been lodged against firm Max Corporate Service Kumbh Mela, and two labs including, Nalwa Laboratories Private Limited, Hisar and Dr Lal Chandani La, Delhi. Necessary action is being taken.’

The SSP further told that the verdicts of the committee established under the Chief Development Officer has been spoken of in the grievance, and the FIR is based on that.

Kotwali Nagar police SHO Rajesh Shah told the FIR has been filed under IPC sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), and provisions of the Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Diseases Act.

Around 24 private labs were engaged—14 by the district council and 10 by Kumbh mela committee — for administering the Covid-19 test of guests visiting the Kumbh Mela.