Mahakumbh fake Covid testing: Max Corporate Services moves court against FIR

Their lawyer said they have pleaded before the court that his client was merely a service provider and that it gave the contract of the testing to two nationally accredited laboratories for conducting rapid antigen testing

Updated on: Jun 18, 2021, 18:13:25 IST

By Neeraj Santoshi

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Max Corporate Services on Friday moved the Uttarakhand high court against the First Information Report (FIR) filed a day earlier against it in Haridwar over alleged fake Covid-19 testing during Mahakumbh in April.

Kartikey Hari Gupta, the Max Corporate Services’ lawyer, said they have pleaded before the court that his client was merely a service provider and that it gave the contract of the testing to two nationally accredited laboratories for conducting rapid antigen testing. “If any fake testing has been done, Max Corporate Services has no role to play and in fact is willing to help in the probe if any such thing has happened.”

Gupta cited the government order for the testing and added Max Corporate Services only facilitated it through the two labs. “All the sample collection and other data entries were done well with the knowledge and supervision of the government health authorities. We have requested the court to protect the petitioner from any coercive measures of police and in whatever manner government wants to investigate, our client is ready and willing to cooperate.”

Gupta said they are hoping for an early hearing in the matter.

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On Thursday, Haridwar police lodged the FIR against Max Corporate Services, Nalwa Lab (Hisar, Haryana), and Lalchandani Lab (Delhi) in connection with alleged fake testing on the complaint of Haridwar’s chief medical officer. The FIR has been filed under the Indian Penal Code’s Sections including 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 471 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and the Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Act.

A top Kumbh Mela official on Wednesday ordered a probe into the Covid-19 tests carried out during the Mahakumbh after reports that the private labs contracted by the Haridwar district administration generated fake reports to meet targets.

This was the second inquiry ordered into the Covid-19 tests conducted in Haridwar during the fair.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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