Hinjawadi: Two Travel Agents Arrested For Selling Fake Negative COVID-19 Test Report To Passengers
Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 20 April 2021: The officials from Hinjawadi police station falling under the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate have arrested two travel agents for selling fake negative RT-PCR test report for coronavirus (COVID-19) to passengers travelling in luxury buses. The arrested persons charged Rs 500 for one report.
The arrested persons have been identified as Rakesh Kumar Bastiram Vaishnav (25) of Dhankawadi and Pattaram Kesaramji Devasi (33) of Wakad. They work as travel agents for luxury buses.
Negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test reports are mandatory for travel, as per the guidelines issued by the authorities.
Assistant Inspector of Police Sagar Kate had received information that some travel agents were providing fake COVID-19 test reports so that people could travel. Accordingly, the police laid a trap at Shani Mandir near Indira School of Communication on the Pune-Bengaluru Highway. A decoy passenger was sent to the accused who demanded Rs 500 for the fake negative RT-PCR report. Within 15 minutes, the decoy passenger returned with a PDF file of the report on his WhatsApp, informed Police Commissioner Krishna Prakash at a press conference today.
After which, both the accused were taken into custody. They had used a fake report from Lifenity Wellness International Limited in Bavdhan, Pune. The lab officials were called to the police station who confirmed that the report was fake.
Pune Police Bust Fake COVID-19 RT-PCR Test Report Racket, Two Persons Arrested Till Now
An FIR was registered against the two accused of offences under Sections 336, 499, 420, 465, 468, 479, 269, 270, 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act. The two accused have been arrested and police have recovered 28 fake negative COVID-19 test reports from their possession.
The action was taken under the guidance of Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissioner Krishna Prakash, Add CP Ramnath Pokale, DCP (Crime) Sudhir Hiremath, DCP (Zone 2) Anand Bhoite, and Wakad Division ACP Shridhar Jadhav.
The team of police officials included Senior Police Inspector Balkrishna Sawant, API Sagar Kate, PSI Samadhan Kadam, Yashwant Sanluke, and police personnel Bandu Marne, Mahesh Vaibase, Kiran Pawar, Balkrishna Shinde, Nitin Parale, Kunal Shinde, Shivram Bhope, Chandrakant Gadde, Karbhari Palve, Shrikant Chavan, Amar Rane, Subhash Gurva, Dattatraya Shinde, Zanak Gumladu, and Nutan Kode.
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