Doctor, aide arrested for giving forged COVID-19 test reports to people in Delhi

A 34-year-old doctor and his associates were arrested for allegedly providing forged COVID-19 test reports to people in national capital, police said on Friday. accused have been identified as Kush Bihari Parashar, a resident of Malviya Nagar, and his associates Amit Singh and Sonu, y said.

Police said y received a complaint from a reputed testing lab regarding forgery of COVID-19 test reports, following which a case under relevant sections was registered at Hauz Khas police station.

On August 30, one man, who runs a business of providing nursing staff to patients, asked doctor Parashar for COVID-19 test reports of his two nursing staff before y were engd in job, a senior police officer said.

Parashar forged reports and sent m to businessman who, in turn, sent it to his client on her mobile. Spotting a mistake in name in report, client contacted diagstic centre and asked for a new report with correction, officer said.

On verifying details of patients, it came to tice of diagstic centre that such patient exists in ir record. Later, a case was registered at Hauz Khas police station.

accused were arrested on Thursday.

"Parashar used to recommend patients for COVID-19 tests and collect sample. With help of co-accused Singh, he used to make forged test report of rewned diagstic centre or of labs as desired by patients," Deputy Commissioner of Police (south) Atul Kumar Thakur said.

As reports were prepared in PDF format on a computer and same were sent to patients on WhatsApp, it was difficult to differentiate between forged and genuine report, DCP said.

Parashar admitted that he had given forged COVID-19 test reports to more than 75 patients using names of diagstic centres such as CRL Diagstics Lab, Modern Diagstics and Research Centre, Dr P Bhasin Pathlabs (P) Ltd and Progsis Laboratories.

Parashar said he had been doing this forgery for past two-and-a-half months and used to charge Rs 2,400 per test.

re was specific criterion for deciding negative or positive. Just as per symptoms of patient, reports were prepared. Sample taken were destroyed, police said. Furr investigation is in progress and efforts are being made to trace or persons involved in nexus, police added.