IT Correspondent
Mumbai/Pune, May 5
Thirteen police personnel, including a DCP and six sub-inspectors, of Mumbai’s JJ Marg police station in South Central Mumbai tested positive and an assistant sub-inspector of the Pune Police died on Monday, to become the first COVID-19 victim in Pune’s police force.
The ASI died at a private hospital in Pune. “The patient, in his mid-50s, was on ventilator support for more than 10 days and had co-morbidities like hypertension and obesity,” said a senior official from the Bharati Hospital. Joint Commissioner of Police, Pune, Ravindra Shisve, said 13 personnel from the Pune district police force have tested positive for COVID-19, so far.
In Mumbai, the eight out of the 13 police personnel are asymptomatic. 40 people who had come in contact with them have been quarantined as a precautionary measure. ”The reports of 13 police personnel, received on Monday certified then as COVID -19 positive. They have been admitted in hospitals while 40 others who came in contact with them, have been quarantined, ACP Avinash Dharmadhikari said.
The JJ Marg police station shares a boundary wall with state-run JJ Hospital, one of the biggest medical facilities in Mumbai. The J J Marg police station covers the crucial Bhendi Bazaar-Mohammed Ali Road belt, and almost the entire police staff is out on patrolling duty for ongoing Ramzan. The DCP was posted in central Mumbai at a compound where several other personnel of various ranks are based. He became the 17th policeman from the compound to test positive.
On Tuesday 22 jawans of the State Reserve Police from Hingoli tested positive. They had returned to their base at Hingoli after carrying out duties in Mumbai and Malegaon, the hotspots of coronavirus.
Besides, on Sunday, six personnel from the Pydhonie police station, three from Nagpada and two from Mahim police station in Mumbai were found infected with the virus.
Till now three policemen-Constable Chandrakant Pendurkar (57)( Vakola police station), Head constable Sandip Surve (52) (protection and security branch, Headquarters) and Head constable Shivaji Sonawane (56)(Kurla traffic police) have passed away due to COVID- 19.
As of today, of the 227 infected, 22 constables and 8 officers have recovered and 172 constables and 22 officers are undergoing treatment in Mumbai.
In the meanwhile the Mumbai Police has decided to ask its personnel above the age of 55 years to stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides the contact tracing is on and instructions are being repeatedly issued to others to stay safe and take precautions, a senior police officer said. Besides, Mumbai police is in the process of administering some 12,000 doses of Hydroxychloroquine to its personnel.
