Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Feb 6: Nippani police have arrested three persons at Kognoli checkpost on Karnataka-Maharashtra border for allegedly providing fake RTPCR test reports to private bus passengers.

A case has been registered against six private travel operators in this connection. The fake report was being given in the name of Rajashree Sahu Maharaj government medical college and private laboratory.

The accused have been identified as Suresh Madahalli, resident of Hubballi, Jagadish Doddaparasappa from Chitradurga, Sathish Shinde from Satara district in Maharashtra.

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Doddaparasappa used to work as conductor in a private bus as well as an agent. A case has been registered against agents of the private bus operators of Kolhapur. They will be arrested soon, as per police sources.

Nippani inspector Sangamesh Shivayogi gave the details of the operation and said, "Our team of three had gone to Kolhapur bus stand disguised as passengers travelling to Hubballi. When we asked for the ticket fare, the driver quoted Rs 1,500 while the actual cost of the ticket was Rs 500. When questioned about the exorbitant price, the driver said that they will provide RTPCR test report without doing Covid test and also that they need to give some bribe to Karnataka police at Kognoli checkpost.

"Within 10 minutes of shelling out Rs 1,500, we got negative RTPCR report. As we reached Kognoli checkpost, we came to know that 24 passengers in the bus had received similar fake RTPCR test reports."