Three illegal path labs sealed in Gurugram, Palwal; owners arrested

According to the police, expired chemicals were being used at the sealed laboratories to conduct tests for diabetes, typhoid, urine, dengue and pregnancy

Three more illegal pathology laboratories in Faridabad and Palwal were sealed and their owners arrested on Wednesday for allegedly operating them without a valid permit and technical experts, officials said, in a series of such crackdowns against such units. So far at least 30 such labs have been sealed in Gurugram, Faridabad and Palwal since January 1 this year.

The three people were arrested from different places in the city for allegedly conducting tests without a medical degree. (HT PHOTO)

The three people were arrested from different places in the city for allegedly conducting tests without a medical degree, police said. Two of them had completed schooling till Class 10, while the third had studied till Class 12, they added.

According to the police, expired chemicals were being used at the sealed laboratories to conduct tests for diabetes, typhoid, urine, dengue and pregnancy.

Rajesh Kumar, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) of the chief minister’s flying squad, said that all the three arrested people operated the laboratories on their own and had not hired any staff. “The suspects lived in rented accommodations in Delhi and Gurugram and were running the diagnostic lab for the last one year in Faridabad and Palwal. The three were unable to produce any qualification documents or the lab’s licence,” he said.

Kumar said the accused confessed to conducting medical tests. “Three of the suspects used to issue reports on a fake letterhead where they projected themselves as MBBS doctors. The suspects told us that they started operating the labs as it was a profit-making business. They also said they were earning between ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2.5 lakh a month,” the DSP said.

Police said that the three operators used to conduct at least 50 tests on a daily basis.Police have recovered investigation reports, a blood-testing machine and other equipment from the lab.