These laboratories were given the contract by the Uttarakhand government to conduct rapid antigen tests and RT-PCR test during the Kumbh Mela.
Haridwar| A case of fake coronavirus testing has come to light during the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. The ED on Friday searched the homes and offices of top officials of five diagnostic firms in connection with money laundering in this case. During this, fake bills, laptops, mobile phones, property papers, and Rs 30.9 lakh in cash were seized.
The companies raided by the probe agency include Novus Path Labs, DNA Labs, Max Corporate Services, Dr. Lal Chandani Labs, and Nalwa Laboratories. Searches were conducted in Dehradun, Haridwar, Delhi, Noida, and Hisar. The state government has already paid Rs 3 crore 40 lakh to them.
The number of tests shown by the labs did not take place
Uttarakhand Police had lodged a complaint in this case, after which the ED started an investigation. These laboratories were given the contract by the Uttarakhand government to conduct rapid antigen tests and RT-PCR test during the Kumbh Mela. It is alleged that the number of tests the companies showed was not actually done. Many names in the list were fake.
In the list, those who didn’t go to Kumbh Mela
The ED said that the companies used the same mobile number, address, and form for several people. The names of many people were added to it without being tested. There were many of these people who had not even gone to Kumbh. Due to the fake negative testing of these labs, the positivity rate in Haridwar at that time was 0.18%, which was 5.3% in reality.
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The scam came to light in June after a Punjab man got a message on his cell phone about a Coronavirus test conducted in Kumbh, even though he had not gone to Haridwar. He lodged a complaint about it. Once the ICMR looked into the matter, the state government started an investigation. Initially, there were reports that more than 1 Lakh fake Coronavirus tests were conducted.
Coronavirus transmission increased by 8814% in a month during Kumbh
During the Kumbh, there was an increase of 8814% in the speed of receiving corona patients in the state within a month (February 14 to April 14). From February 14 to February 28, only 172 people were found infected in Uttarakhand. Then between April 1 and 15, 15,333 people came under the grip of Coronavirus. Till February, only between 30 and 60 people were found infected here every day. In April, the number rose from 2,000 to 2,500.
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