3 health dept officials arrested for issuing fake dope test and medico-legal reports

Three Punjab health department officials were arrested on Tuesday on charges of issuing fake disability certificates, and dope test and medico-legal reports, an official said. The arrests were made by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau.

Chief Director-Cum-ADGP Vigilance Bureau B K Uppal said Lab Technician Vijay Kumar, Pharmacists Darshan Singh and Finance-cum-Logistic officer Tejinder Pal Sharma have been arrested.

They allegedly indulged in unfair practices by issuing fake disability certificates, dope test reports, and MLRs.

"During investigation, it was found that these officials of the civil hospital in Mansa were taking hefty bribes from people to change their types of injuries as well as issuing forged negative dope test reports and fake physically disabled certificates.

“These employees have established links with the owners of private hospitals and private/government doctors," he said in a statement here.

Uppal said those who came for treatment at the Mansa Civil Hospital were being referred to private hospitals. Bribes were being taken from the owners of the private hospitals, he said.

Besides this, it was also found that in connivance with some doctors, they also referred patients under the Ayushman Bharat Scheme to private hospitals for bribes, Uppal said.

He said these employees used to collect Rs 10,000 from each person for changing positive dope test reports into negative for the purpose of making arms license.

In this way, many drug addicts have succeeded in getting arms licenses or renewing from the district administration, he said.

Besides this, several government and police personnel addicted to drugs and were also able to pass dope tests with the help of these corrupt officials, he said.

A case has been registered against all the accused under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.