Later, Dr Singh and two other family members were also found to be coronavirus positive (File)
A government doctor in Madhya Pradesh's Singrauli - who had attended a wedding in Uttar Pradesh without getting leaves sanctioned - sent his wife's sample in his house maid's name for testing after she developed COVID-19 symptoms. He allegedly made the move to conceal his wife's identity to avoid detection of his unauthorized leaves. A case against him has been registered.
Dr Abhay Ranjan Singh, posted at the Khutar health center in Singrauli, went to Ballia in Eastern UP along with his family to attend a marriage on June 23 without getting leaves sanctioned. He returned on July 1, but instead of quarantining himself and his family, he continued with his duties, which include sealing containment zones.
When his wife developed COVID-19 symptoms, he sent her samples in the name of their house maid. The fraud was revealed when the authorities reached the maid's residence after the sample tested positive.
Later, Dr Singh and two other family members were also found to be coronavirus positive.
"An FIR has been lodged against the doctor under the provisions of the Epidemic Act and Disaster Management Act. Once he recovers from the viral infection, action would be taken against him. The BMO's wife's samples- which were sent in another woman's name - tested COVID positive, after which a medical team went to the house to isolate her; it was found that it wasn't her sample,"
Baidhan police station in-charge Arun Pandey said.
The episode has led to the isolation of 33 government staff, including a sub-divisional magistrate, who had come in contact with the doctor. Their samples have been sent for test.