Lucknow, May 27 (IANS): A private testing laboratory that gave a false report of six people testing corona positive in Meerut district, is likely to lose its licence.

Meerut District Magistrate Anil Dhingra has already recommended cancellation of the licence of the lab, which has its main office in Gurugram and has sample collection centres in Meerut by the name of Modern Lab and Diagnostic Centre.

Dhingra said, "There was a discrepancy in the lab reports of the Modern Lab for COVID-19 cases. The matter is being investigated and whosoever will be found guilty will not be spared, strict action will be taken against the responsible. A recommendation has been sent to the government for cancellation of the license of this lab. A detailed report has been asked from CMO as well."

On May 21, eight samples were sent to this lab from Meerut and all were found positive for COVID-19.

However, during re-testing the samples of the same persons at the microbiology department of the Meerut Medical College on May 24, six out of the eight were found to be negative. Following this, those who tested negative were shifted to a different ward. Health officials have sought strict action against the private lab for wrongly indicating that six people from the city had tested positive.