Fake Covid testing at Kumbh: First probe report likely to be submitted next week
Haridwar’s chief development officer Sanjay Gaharwar is likely to submit the report of his probe into alleged fake Covid-19 testing during Mahakumbh in the next three to four days
Haridwar’s chief development officer Sanjay Gaharwar is likely to submit the report of his probe into alleged fake Covid-19 testing during Mahakumbh in the next three to four days.

“The representatives of Dr Lal Chandani Laboratories would come to Haridwar for questioning on Monday. Once it is done, I will submit my report to the authorities within three-four days.” Gaharwar earlier questioned representatives of other two firms allegedly involved in the fake testing.
He said he has sought more documents for the probe. “Once they are received, a proper analysis would be done before completing the report,” said Gaharwar.
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A special investigation team of the police, which is holding a separate probe into the matter, was also questioning the representatives of Nalwa Laboratories.
Two of the private firms under investigation allegedly conducted 100,000 fake tests during the Mahakumbh.
Allegations of fake testing surfaced at the Kumbh after a Faridkot resident complained to the authorities that he received a message for collecting his Covid-19 report despite never having been tested. The complaint triggered a probe that unearthed roughly 100,000 fake rapid antigen tests.
Three firms – Lalchandani Lab, Nalwa Lab, and Noida-based private agency Max Corporate Services – have been booked under the Indian Penal Code, Disaster Management Act, and Epidemic Diseases Act.
Three separate probes are being conducted into the allegations of fake testing.
ABOUT THE AUTHORNeeraj SantoshiNeeraj 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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