CM orders SIT inquiry into fake Covid tests during Kumbh

By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 18 Jun: Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat has finally ordered an SIT inquiry into the fake Covid tests conducted by some of the laboratories authorised to conduct Covid tests during the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar. On the directions of the CM, SSP, Haridwar, Senthil Avoodai K Raj has set up an SIT team headed by Rakesh Rawat, CO, Buggawala, to conduct the inquiry into this scam.
The orders were issued today, according to which, other members of the SIT team include Rajesh Shah, Inspector In charge of the Police Station, City, in Haridwar, Inspector Rakendra Singh Kathait, In charge CIU, Ranjit Singh Tomar, Senior Sub Inspector Rajendra Rawat, SI Laxmi Manola, Shashikant and Deep Gaud.
The team has been directed to immediately investigate the scam and collect the evidence. It may be recalled that the CM has assured that no one found to be guilty would be spared.
In fact, the CM also reminded that the agencies selected to conduct the tests had been chosen before he took over as CM. This statement of him has attracted a sharp reaction from his predecessor, Trivendra Singh Rawat. Today, Cabinet Minister Harark Singh Rawat, too, jumped into fray and defended the present CM.
The Police SIT team, today, recorded the statement of CMO, Haridwar, Shambhu Kumar Jha at his office. It may be recalled that, yesterday, on behalf of Chief Medical Officer Shambhu Kumar Jha, a case was registered against a Delhi-based firm at the Haridwar city Kotwali, as also a lab in Hisar, Haryana and Delhi. Sources claimed that the firm in question has been paid so far only for 4,000 tests, though it has supposedly conducted 2.7 lakh tests out of which around 1 lakh tests have been found to be fake. One particular firm that conducted the tests apparently operated from a tin shed in Rajasthan and more than 70 percent of the fake tests detected so far were linked to that state.
According to sources, the CMO, Haridwar, has claimed that his office had nothing to do with the selection of firms for conducting Covid tests, as all the decisions on Kumbh management were taken by the Kumbh Mela Administration, which had its own Mela Health Department. Surprisingly, some of the firms were not even ICMR approved for Covid tests and, therefore, it remains a matter of surprise how they were hired to conduct the tests.