Police complaint filed against South African national who left country

The man checked out after furnishing a COVID negative test report

The man arrived in Bengaluru by air on November 20. After a test at the airport revealed that he was infected by COVID-19, he was sent to Shangri-La hotel on Palace Road for 14 days of quarantine.

The city police have registered a case against a South African national, who tested positive for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus but left the country three days later based on a negative COVID-19 test report that has now come under suspicion.

Police have also booked the hotel management where he was under quarantine and let him go without informing the civic authorities.

Though Revenue Minister R. Ashok had said an investigation will be carried out against the laboratory that gave the patient a negative report, the FIR doesn’t list the laboratory — S. R. Laboratory — as an accused. “We had mentioned the laboratory in our complaint. I will ask our officials to look into the issue”, said Gaurav Gupta, Chief Civic Commissioner of Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, sources said Indian authorities were in touch with authorities in Dubai, to where the patient left from the city. They are also in touch with South African authorities, sources said.

Based on the complaint filed by Dr. Naveen Kumar M., Medical Officer, Shivajinagar, the High Grounds police booked the South African national, Mahendra Chibabhai, 66, and the management of Shangrila hotel, situated on Palace Road, charging them under Karnataka Epidemic Disease Act and under section 269 (negligent act to spread infection) section 271 (disobedience of Quarantine Rule) and section 114 (abettment to offence).

Dr. Kumar, in his complaint, said that the man had landed in the city on November 20 and the COVID-19 test conducted at the airport tested positive. Based on the result, he was sent to Shangrila hotel and kept in a separate room for 14 days of quarantine.

Despite specific instructions to the staff to alert the BBMP officials at the time of his check-out, the management allowed him to check out on November 27, and failed to comply with the instructions and inform the BBMP, the civic body has alleged.

Upon inquiry, the management justified their action stating that the man had submitted a COVID-negative certificate from S.R. Lab at the time of check-out.