Profiteering in sale of Covid-19 rapid test kits to ICMR exposed in court

Delhi HC says mark-up is much on the higher side, asks test kits to be sold at Rs 400 per unit

At a time when India is facing an unprecedented crisis because of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, a legal dispute between an importer and a distributor has exposed massive profiteering in the delivery of coronavirus testing kits to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

According to the details provided in Delhi High Court, SARS CoV-2 Antibody test kits procured from China, whose delivered cost was Rs 245 per test, were sold to the ICMR for Rs 600 per test, a huge mark up of 145%.

The case came to light when Rare Metabolics Life Sciences Pvt Ltd and Aark Pharmaceuticals,