Mumbai: Lab technician held for selling fake Covid-19 test reports

The unit-1 of Kashimira crime branch have arrested a lab technician with a reputed Mira Road-based laboratory for allegedly issuing fake Covid-19 negative reports to people for ₹1,000 each

The unit-1 of Kashimira crime branch have arrested a lab technician with a reputed Mira Road-based laboratory for allegedly issuing fake Covid-19 negative reports to people for ₹1,000 each.

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All the six negative reports that he issued of ‘decoy patients’ are currently undergoing treatment for Covid-19 in Mira Road and Bhayander hospitals, said an officer.

The accused Krishna Ramdular Saroj, 26, is a resident of Lalji Pada, Kandivli (West) and worked for the reputed laboratory in Mira Road. He issued Covid-19 negative certificates based on the Aadhar card copies sent by the victims.

Police laid a trap after receiving a tip-off about the activity. “The police sent Aadhar card details of six positive patients to Saroj and within four hours he sent them their Covid-19 negative report on WhatsApp,” said the officer.

“We have arrested Saroj under section 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for cheating), 471 (fraudulently or dishonestly uses as genuine any document or electronic record) of the Indian Penal Code. Saroj is likely to have issued several such fake Covid-19 negative test reports since the pandemic began. We are probing further,” said an officer.