New Delhi: In a recent development, the High Court of Delhi has rejected a plea for a court-monitored investigation into allegations of fake laboratory tests conducted at the Mohalla Clinics established by the Aam Aadmi Party in the national capital. The division bench, headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, dismissed the application filed by social activist Bejon Kumar Mishra in the context of his ongoing Public Interest Litigation (PIL) addressing unauthorised pathological labs and diagnostic centres in Delhi.
The court justified its decision by stating,
“Considering that the matter has already been referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), no order is called for in the present application. The same is accordingly dismissed.”
Mishra’s PIL sought a court-monitored inquiry into the alleged fake laboratory tests at Mohalla Clinics and aimed to establish policies regulating the establishment and operation of pathological laboratories in Delhi. The application referred to an incident reported in August of the previous year, where certain doctors and seven Mohalla Clinics were accused of engaging in unethical practices to fraudulently mark attendance through pre-recorded videos.
Additionally, the PIL emphasised the need for the constitution of a regulatory authority responsible for regular inspections of pathological laboratories. It called for strict enforcement of Delhi’s Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Act of 2010. The PIL highlighted a media report indicating that of nearly 1000 diagnostic labs in Delhi NCR, only 10% are accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
Case title: Bejon Kumar Misra v. GNCTD