Fake RT-PCR report racket busted in Patna after AAI complaint

Preliminary investigation has found that the diagnostic lab was not registered under the Clinical Establishment Act. It it also charged ₹1,500- ₹2,500 for a fake RT-PCR report.

The Patna district administration has busted a racket allegedly involved in issuing fake Covid-19 test report following a raid at a diagnostic laboratory in the capital city on a complaint by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), officials said on Thursday, adding that a number of fake RT-PCR reports were seized from the lab.

A raid was conducted on Plasma Diagnostic Lab in Patna on Wednesday evening after AAI authorities recently nabbed a passenger with a fake RT-PCR report issued by the lab located in Raja Bazar under Shastrinagar police station. (HT FILE)

The raid on Plasma Diagnostic Lab was conducted Wednesday evening after AAI authorities recently nabbed a passenger with a fake RT-PCR report issued by the lab located in Raja Bazar under Shastrinagar police station.

Some of the lab employees were detained in this connection, said Ramashankar, the station house officer (SHO) of Shastrinagar police station. He didn’t disclose the exact number. Sources, however, said at least four lab employees were detained.

A case has been lodged on the statement of additional chief medical officer Dr Awinash Kumar Singh against the lab’s owner and staff members under Sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 468 (purpose of cheating), 469 (committing forgery), 471 (fraudulently uses as genuine) and 336 (Personal safety for others) of the Indian Penal Code.

The action came after AAI director Bhupesh Negi wrote to the Patna district magistrate (DM) that a flyer, when stopped for an RT-PCR report recently at Jayprakash Narayan International Airport here, reportedly managed to get a report within hours, raising suspicion. As per the guidelines of civil aviation ministry, a negative RT-PCR test report is mandatory for travelling inside the country and abroad.

Later, Patna DM Chandrashekhar Singh formed a team to bust the racket. During the raid, copies of fake identity proofs such as Aadhar, passport and PAN cards, bearing names of people belonging to other states, were also recovered, said officials.

Police said the detained staff members admitted that fake RT-PCR reports were sold to some people. “Till now, we have recovered around 25 such fake reports issued under names of different labs without a QR code,” the SHO said. Police also recovered several reports and money receipt receipts of three different labs from the centre

Earlier, on July 26, 2021, four persons from Bihar were caught by the Uttarakhand police in Dehradun, when they tried to enter the state with a fake RT-PCR report.

Modus operandi

The racket members collect original Aadhaar cards of air travellers and print fake RT-PCR reports instantly.

Generally, such fake RT-PCR reports are generated after 12 hours.

Officials said such labs have managed to exploit the system by finding loopholes, due to availability of QR code generators.

Inspection found a QR code on one of the reports to be fake. However, the hard copies of the fake RT-PCR reports as well as their PDF files seemed real.