Coronavirus / Fake COVID-19 tests at Kumbh amount to attempt to murder: Ex-U'khand CM

Dehradun: Former Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat on Friday said that the alleged fake Covid tests during the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar amounted to an attempt to murder and that he would ask the Chief Minister to get a judicial inquiry into the matter.

He also said the time when this scam was orchestrated should also be brought out before the public.

"Fake COVID tests (during Haridwar Kumbh Mela) amount to the crime of the attempt to murder. The Chief Minister should order a judicial inquiry in this matter. People should also be told as to when this scam occurred," Rawat said.

This comes a day after state Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat had remarked that the matter (COVID testing scam) was from the time before he took charge as the CM.

"This matter is from the time before I took charge as the CM. As soon as I took charge, I ordered an inquiry into it. A probe is underway, strict action will be taken against those found guilty," the Chief Minister had said on Thursday.

The State government had on Thursday registered a case in this connection against two private labs- Lalchandani Labs and Nalwa Labs as well as the Max corporate agency.

Tirath Singh Rawat was appointed Uttarakhand CM, in place of Trivendra Singh Rawat in March this year weeks ahead of the Maha Kumbh commenced in Haridwar.

On June 15, upon being questioned on the issue, the Joint Health secretary of the Union Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said that a detailed report on fake COVID tests conducted during Kumbh Mela is expected in a few days.