Fake COVID Test Centre Sealed In Odisha’s Puri, One Arrested

Puri: Police sealed an unauthorised COVID testing centre-cum-laboratory and arrested a lab technician in this connection in Puri district on Friday. Police have also seized some rapid antigen test (RAT) kits from the laboratory in Kakatpur area.

Police said the accused, Prakash Dash (36), is a diploma holder in lab management and has been running the fake COVID testing centre for the past few weeks.

Prakash allegedly cheated several people on the pretext of conducting RT-PCR and RAT.

Police came to know of the fake laboratory after a government doctor at a community health centre (CHC) complained that several COVID test reports bore his name as the consultant without his consent. “The doctor suspected the reports to be forged and immediately alerted police,” SP (Puri) Kanwar Vishal was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

Following an investigation, police found that the lab technician was cheating people by forging prescriptions. “He also wrote that the patients were being referred to his laboratory by the CHC doctor. After getting information, we promptly raided his laboratory and arrested him,” the SP said, adding that another person working in the laboratory has been detained for questioning.

The involvement of others in the racket and the source of the RAT kits are being investigated.