Lab issuing fake Covid-19 reports raided in Gurugram

Gurugram: The Haryana Chief Minister's Flying Squad has raided a diagnostic lab accused of preparing fake coronavirus reports, officials said on Tuesday. The team nabbed a lab assistant while the operator managed to flee.

The lab allegedly charged Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 to issue COVID-19 positive or negative reports.
They also charged Rs 900 for Covid test even as the rate of the test is capped at Rs 299 when a person opts to get it done at a lab. An FIR in this regard has been registered at DLF Phase-3 police station.

According to DSP Inderjeet Yadav of the Chief Minister's Flying Squad, they were tipped-off that Good Health Diagnostic, located at Nathupur Road in DLF Phase-3, was issuing Covid test reports fraudulently.
The lab was a franchise of SRL lab and was started around five months ago.

"We informed the Health Department and drug controller and a joint team was formed which conducted raid at the lab. A decoy customer was sent to the lab seeking fake Covid report and the lab assistant promised him the same after taking money. When the decoy customer signalled, our team nabbed the lab assistant Sanjeev (22), resident of Mahipalpur in Delhi," the DSP said.

"Lab operator Anuj Sharma, who originally hails from Uttar Pradesh, was not available at the lab and our team during the search found that they were giving Covid positive report after taking money. The reports were being issued on the behalf of SRL lab. An FIR has been registered under various sections at DLF phase-3 police station", Yadav said.

According to the investigating officer, a fake report of COVID-19, a laptop, a printer, one phone, a rubber stamp and Rs 12,500 cash were seized from the lab.