3 state government employees booked for failing to report for Covid duty

The police said the accused persons were posted at Tau Devi Lal stadium, where hundreds of migrant workers had camped before they were sent to their respective home towns in buses and trains.

The police on Thursday booked three state government employees — a clerk, an executive engineer and a school teacher — for allegedly failing to report for Covid-19 duty. The police said the case was registered after a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) filed a police complaint at Civil Lines police station.

According to the police, the accused persons were deputed as liaison officials and were tasked with assisting migrant workers to board the Shramik Special trains to return to their respective states. (PTI file photo. Representative image)

According to the police, the accused persons were deputed as liaison officials and were tasked with assisting migrant workers to board the Shramik Special trains to return to their respective states.

A police official privy to the investigation, requesting anonymity, said, “In the complaint, the SDM stated that during an audit, it was found that a clerk from the excise department, a government school teacher and an executive engineer from the construction division had failed to report for their duties during the lockdown. The accused persons had neither informed their senior officials of their absence nor had they taken permission for the same.” The official added that the police had initiated a probe and no arrests have been made so far.

The police said the accused persons were posted at Tau Devi Lal stadium, where hundreds of migrant workers had camped before they were sent to their respective home towns in buses and trains. The complaint was lodged on Thursday, following which an FIR was registered.

A case was registered against the accused persons under Section 56 (failure of officer in duty or his connivance at the contravention of the provisions of this Act) of the Disaster Management at Civil Lines police station, said the police.