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Ludhiana police want Covid-19 test for all offenders they arrest
A request in this regard was sent to the civil hospital on Friday; this comes a day after 17 cops had to be quarantined after a snatching and vehicle-lifting accused tested positive for the virus
A day after a man arrested on charges of vehicle lifting and snatching was found positive for novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and consequently 17 police personnel had to be quarantined, police have requested the Civil Hospital to test all arrested persons for the disease to prevent police personnel and other inmates from contracting the infection.
In the meanwhile, police personnel are thoroughly sanitising themselves and the accused after making an arrest.
Sub-inspector Yashpal Sharma, in-charge at CIA Staff-3, who arrested the man found positive for Covid-19 on Friday, said that after the accused test positive, they have been taking precautions while making arrests.
In case of a planned raid, police personnel use the Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kit. However, in case they must arrest a person suddenly, they do not wait for PPE kits and usually arrest the accused on the spot.
“Police personnel are using gloves, masks and sanitisers to keep themselves sanitised. They also sanitise the accused repeatedly and provide them with masks, too,” Sharma said.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP, City-2) Jaskiranjit Singh Teja said the situation was rather dicey:”We cannot stop arresting miscreants who are a threat to law and order in the city, but we must protect ourselves from the virus, too.”
On Friday, the Sadar police station, under Teja arrested two persons for murdering a liquor vend employee.
Police took credit for civilians’ efforts
Ludhiana: The novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has exposed the police’s deceit. Police had taken credit for arresting two persons accused of snatching and vehicle lifting, but after the one of the men tested positive for Covid-19, the police had to reveal the name of the locals who actually caught the accused and handed them over to the police.
Notably, on April 6, the police had claimed in a presser that the accused had been caught during a special checking.
The two locals, who caught the accused, have also been placed under quarantine. One of the men, who caught the accused, said, “My friend and I were distributing langar among migrants near Jeevan Nagar on April 5, when we saw the accused snatch a local’s phone. We caught the two men and handed them over to the police.”
“On Thursday, the police informed us that the accused had tested positive Covid-19 and asked us to quarantine ourselves,” he said.
A total of 19 persons, including 17 police personnel, have placed under quarantine after the accused test positive on Thursday. The samples of seven policemen have also been sent for checking.
