Uttarakhand CM says fake COVID-19 testing scam not from his term, his predecessor demands judicial probe into it

The decision to rope in private firms to conduct COVID-19 tests during the Kumbhmela was taken before he took over as Chief Minister, Tirath Singh Rawat said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat has said the fake COVID-19 testing scam during the Kumbhmela in Haridwar dates back to before his term, while his predecessor Trivendra Singh Rawat demanded a judicial probe into it. Both remarks came on Thursday.

The decision to rope in private firms to conduct COVID-19 tests during the Kumbhmela was taken before he took over as Chief Minister, Tirath Singh Rawat said.

“The scam is old. I took over in March. However, a probe has already been ordered into it and stern action will be taken against those involved,” he told reporters in Dehradun on the sidelines of a programme on Thursday.

Tirath Singh Rawat became Chief Minister of the State on March 10 while the Kumbhmela was held from April 1 to April 30.

However, he expressed the State government’s resolve to bring out the truth and punish the guilty.

Meanwhile, his predecessor Trivendra Singh Rawat has demanded an impartial probe into the scam by a high court judge, terming the scam serious in nature. The Uttarakhand government on Thursday had lodged a case against a company and two private labs for fudging coronavirus test reports during the Kumbhmela in April.

The firm, Max Corporate Service, Nalwa Laboratories Private Limited of Hisar and Delhi-based Dr. Lalchandani Lab have been accused of issuing fake negative test reports.