A probe has been ordered by the state government to investigate the matter.
The Uttarakhand government has ordered Haridwar district administration to register a case against private laboratories that have allegedly conducted fake Covid-19 tests during the Kumbh Mela. The Kumbh was held in the month of April when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims had come to Haridwar to participate in the ritual bath in the River Ganges. According to NDTV, the private laboratories mainly based in Delhi and Haryana, were engaged by the state government to conduct tests during the Kumbh Mela, one of the world's largest religious gatherings, from April 1 to 30. "Uttarakhand government has ordered the Haridwar district administration to register FIR in Covid testing scam during Mahakumbh. Order issued to file a case against labs from Delhi and Haryana, which conducted testing at 5 places in Haridwar during Kumbh Mela," state government's spokesperson Subodh Uniyal said. After reports surfaced that more than one lakh fake Covid-19 tests were conducted during the Mela, the Haridwar authorities ordered an investigation into the matter. Reportedly, since the Uttarakhand High Court had directed to conduct 50,000 tests per day, the labs allegedly did so to meet the demand. Haridwar District Magistrate C Ravishankar said that due to the ongoing investigation, the payment to all labs has been withheld for the time being. Twenty-two private labs had been hired to conduct testing during the festival, reported NDTV.
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