The Enforcement Directorate has conducted searches at multiple locations in connection with fake entries of COVID testing during the Kumbh Mela in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar earlier this year.
The agency searched the office premises of Novus Path Labs, DNA Labs, Max Corporate Services, Dr. Lal Chandani Labs Private Limited and Nalwa Laboratories Private Limited.
The residential premises of their directors were also searched in Dehradun, Haridwar, Delhi, Noida and Hisar.
The ED has initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of a First Information Report registered by Uttarakhand police.
“During the money laundering investigation, it was revealed that the said laboratories were given the contract by the Uttarakhand government for conducting Rapid Antigen Test/RT-PCR tests for COVID during the Kumbh Mela this year,” said the agency.
It is alleged that these laboratories barely carried out any tests. They made fake entries and raised bogus bills in order to earn illegal financial gains, as alleged.
“An amount of ₹3.40 crore has already been received by them from the Uttarakhand government as part payment,” said the ED.
The accused made multiple entries against mobile numbers and addresses to inflate the data. The tests were shown to have been conducted on persons who had never visited the Kumbh Mela.
Positivity rate
“Due to false negative testing by these labs, positivity rate of Hardwar at that time was shown at 0.18% against the actual 5.3%,” the ED said.
During the ongoing searches, the agency has so far seized bogus bills, laptops, mobile phones and property documents, apart from cash.