35-year-old technician arrested for forging COVID reports, duping patient in Mumbai

A technician employed at a hospital in Wadala was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly forging Covid-19 reports of a 65-year-old cancer patient and pocketing Rs 6,000. The police identified the accused as Abdul Gaffar Shaikh, who got the job a technician just 10 days ago. Shaikh was also responsible for collecting swabs from suspected COVID patients.

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Meher Lamberaj, the complainant, lodged a police complaint against Shaikh after she found amiss in the COVID-19 reports of her mother. Lamberaj wanted to admit her mother who is a cancer patient, to a hospital on May 31. As most of the hospitals were refusing to admit patients who have not undergone Covid-19 tests, she contacted Shaikh directly and decided to get her mother tested. Shaikh was familiar with Lamberaj's uncle.

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According to the police officer, Shaikh went to her residence to collect her mother’s swabs and charged her Rs 6,000 for the same and left. As the accused did not contact Lamberaj she decided to call him the next day, following which shaikh went to her uncle’s place and handed over the report.

Upon checking the reports Lamberaj noticed amiss and in suspicion, contacted the lab from where the swab samples were supposed to be tested. She learned that her mother’s swabs were never sent to the designated lab for testing, the officer said.

The case was lodged at Tardeo police station against Shaikh. With the help of his call data records, the police traced Shaikh and brought him to the police station. During interrogation, he confessed and was arrested.

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COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra

Maharashtra on Thursday, reported 2933 new Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and 123 new deaths - the highest till date. The state's current COVID-19 tally stands ar 77,793 cases with 2710 deaths - Mumbai amounting to 44,931 cases. This comes a day after the state was hit by Cyclone Nisarga - which has not majorly impacted the state but has given rise to fears of COVID-19 cases escalating.

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(With agency inputs)