BMC exempts Bihar IPS Vinay Tiwari from quarantine, allows him to travel back to Patna
The decision was taken following a letter from the Bihar Police to facilitate Tiwari’s return to Patna for resuming his duty.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities have exempted Bihar-cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Vinay Tiwari from mandatory 14-day home quarantine by allowing him to return to Patna before Saturday (August 8).
The decision was taken following a letter from the Bihar Police to facilitate Tiwari’s return to Patna for resuming his duty.
Bihar Police’s letter came in the backdrop of the Nitish Kumar-led government giving its consent to transfer actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) earlier this week.
CBI registered a first information report (FIR) in the case on Thursday.
Mumbai Police is probing the case after the actor was found dead by suicide in his Bandra apartment on June 14 following which Maharashtra government ordered an investigation into his death.
P Velrasu, additional municipal commissioner, BMC, has responded to Bihar Police’s letter.
“It is surprising and unfortunate to note that a visiting senior officer before proceeding to Mumbai has not acquainted himself with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) quarantine guidelines issued by the Maharashtra government to arrest the spread of the pandemic in the state. It may be noted that the guidelines are available in the public domain,” the BMC letter stated.
Tiwari had arrived in Mumbai to investigate Rajput’s death on Sunday (August 2) evening and was asked by the civic body authorities to remain under a 14-day quarantine, as per the state government’s rule for domestic air travellers.
“Considering that it is only the fifth day of his arrival and since the request to exempt from home isolation to go back to Patna has come from Patna Police, and considering the provision in the SOP (standard operating procedure) to exempt passengers on a short duration visit, it is decided to exempt Mr. Vinay Tiwari from home quarantine subject to fulfilling the following conditions. He shall leave Maharashtra before the seventh day of the start of quarantine (before August 8),” the letter stated.
Tiwari was quarantined at the SRPF camp in Goregaon, where he had put up upon his arrival to Mumbai.
On Thursday, four personnel of Bihar Police, who was in Mumbai since July 27 to investigate Rajput’s death, also flew back to Patna.
Tiwari has been advised to travel to the domestic airport in Mumbai while using precautionary measures against the raging viral outbreak, including personal protective equipment (PPE) items.
