Kumbh Fake Covid Test Scam Not From His Term, Says Uttarakhand Chief Minister

The decision to rope in private firms to conduct Covid tests during the Kumbh was taken before he took charge as Chief Minister, Tirath Singh Rawat said.

The scam involving fake Covid tests during the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar took place before he took office, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat said Thursday while his predecessor Trivendra Singh Rawat demanded a judicial probe into it. Both remarks came on Thursday. The decision to rope in private firms to conduct Covid tests during the Kumbh Mela was taken before he took charge as Chief Minister, Tirath Singh Rawat said. "The scam is old. I took over in March. A probe has already been ordered into it and stern action will be taken against those involved," he told reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Dehradun on Thursday. Tirath Singh Rawat took over as Uttarakhand Chief Minister on March 10 while the Kumbh Mela was held between April 1 and April 30.