Pune: A case has been registered in the antigen testing kit scam that took place during the pandemic at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)-run Arvind Bartakke Hospital. The then PMC Health Department Head Dr Ashish Bharati, Warje-Karve Nagar Ward Office Health Officer Dr Aruna Tarde, Swab Centre Chief Dr Hrishikesh Gardi have been booked for cheating and under other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Dr Satish Kolsure (42), a resident of Navi Sangvi lodged a complaint at the Warje Police Station. The incident took place at the Arvind Bartakke Hospital during the Corona pandemic in 2021.
As many as 11,000 bogus names of patients were registered at the Swab Centre in the hospital. The centre had received around 18,500 antigen testing kits, out of which 60-80 pc kits were not used. They were sold in the black market. Mobile phone numbers of hospital staff and doctors were used as the patients’ numbers. Money amounting to Rs 70-80 lakh was misappropriated in the scam.
Complainant Dr Satish Kolsure had moved the court through his legal counsel Adv Nitin Ngargoje. JMFC CS Patil has directed the Warje Police to investigate the matter thoroughly under section 156 (3) of the IPC. Accordingly, the police have registered a case. Senior PI Jaitapurkar is investigating the matter.
