Continuing crackdown on tour operators selling fake negative reports, cops nab driver, agents from Gopal Bhuvan stop
Police even stopped a bus from leaving for Rajasthan. Representation pic
The police’s crackdown on travel agents selling fake COVID-19 negative reports to commuters trying to leave the state, prompted by a series of mid-day reports, continued on Thursday. Accompanied by BMC officials, they raided shops at Gopal Bhuvan bus stop in Ghatkopar and arrested six people.
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Police are now investigating to find if more tour operators are involved in this scam.
mid-day had reported about the rampant use of negative COVID-19 reports for travel to Gujarat and Rajasthan following a sting operation, which found both tour operators and bus drivers indulging in the racket. The BMC chief had ordered an enquiry after this newspaper’s reports.
Among the arrested are a bus driver and cleaners. Representation pic
Speaking about the raid at Ghatkopar, Dr Mahendra Khandade, medical health officer of the N ward, told mid-day, “On instructions from the municipal commissioner, we raided the place and saw a bus ready to leave for Rajasthan. We found 40 passengers on it, out of which only 15 had COVID-19 test reports. But, many of them were found to be fake after verification. “We asked the police to arrest the driver and cleaners of the bus,” he added.
Among those arrested are passengers as well, identified as Shravan Singh Bhati, Bhairavsingh Kilawat, Bhumal Kunwar Kilawat. Others who have been arrested are Rohanlal Jat, Gajanand Damani, Ashok Verma, Roshan Sudhar, Raju Teli and people who helped prepare the fake reports. They have all been booked under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease danger¬ous to life), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.
The BMC in its enquiry found that many of the fake reports were forged on one registered phone number. On contacting the laboratories mentioned in the reports, the BMC learnt that they were unaware about any such reports.
“Investigation into the matter is ongoing. We have found that many more could be involved in this and we are tracing them too,” said Inspector Pramod Kokate of Ghatkopar police station.
Speaking to mid-day, Deputy Commissioner of Police Prashant Kadam confirmed that an FIR has been lodged in the Ghatkopar police station on a complaint from the BMC in the matter. “In this case, we have arrested the accused and are investigating further,” he said.
Forty
No. of passengers found on bus headed for Rajasthan
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