BENGALURU: High Grounds police arrested four staff of a private lab following the escape of a South-African national, who had tested positive for the Omicron variant.
The accused had issued fake negative report to the African national and after he escaped from the hotel. The BBMP has lodged a complaint with the police against the patient and the hotel under the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act.
A senior police officer said that the accused working in a lab located on Airport road had issued a fake report to South African national, who arrived in Bengaluru on November 20, was tested at the international airport and the result was positive.
Further tests revealed that he was infected with the Omicron variant. Hence, the BBMP officials had quarantined him at Shangri La hotel on Palace Road. However, the hotel staff allegedly allowed him to leave the hotel on November 27, after he had produced a report from a private laboratory stating that he was negative for COVID-19. The hotel staff had not informed the BBMP officials about the same.
As the patient and the hotel have violated the COVID-19 guidelines, Dr. Naveen Kumar M, the Medical Officer of Health of the BBMP East Division, has filed a complaint with the High Grounds police on Sunday.
Based on the complaint, the police have registered an FIR under sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 271 (disobedience to quarantine rule), and other sections of the IPC and the provisions of the Karnataka Epidemic Diseases Act, 2020.