Kumbh scam: Case against DNA Lab registered on fake covid tests
PrashantNews
A case against the Dehradun-based DNA Lab was on Wednesday registered in connection with the fake Covid tests conducted during Kumbh Mela in Haridwar three years ago.
Police said the case has been lodged against Divya Prakash the owner of the lab under various sections of IPC 120B, 420, 467, 468 and 471 on the basis of an inquiry report by the Enforcement Directorate in the Patelnagar police station.
In 2021, Enforcement Directorate had registered a case against Noida based Max Corporate Services and two laboratories-Delhi-based Lalchandani Labs and Hisar-based Nalwa Labs for making fake Covid 19 test reports of pilgrims coming to Haridwar kumbh without actually doing them and even procured payment in lieu of them.
During the investigations, it was found out that the DNA lab in Dehradun’s Patelnagar area was also paid a sum of Rs 84.57 lakh for conducting Rapid Antigen Test and RT-PCR tests during Haridwar Kumbh Mela. The investigations by the ED also revealed that most of the entries uploaded by the lab on ICMR portal were also fake as the mobile number and the address of many patients were also found to be fake.
The ED sent its investigation report to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dehradun Ajai Kumar for necessary action. On the instruction of the SSP, Patelnagar police made a preliminary inquiry and registered the case against the lab. “We have registered a case and investigations are on,” said the SHO of the Patelnagar police station.
Covid 19 was at its peak in 2021 and to control the spread of the epidemic, the state government had hired Max Corporate Services assigning it the task of carrying out Covid tests during Kumbh. Max Corporate had outsourced the job to Lalchandani Labs and d Nalwa Labs.
After the scam unearthed, two officials of Uttarakhand government were suspended for their alleged involvement. Dr Arjun Singh Sengar, the then Mela officer (medical and health) and Dr N K Tyagi, the then officer in charge (medical and health) were suspended on the orders of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.