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Palghar lynching case accused tests positive for Covid-19, 43 others to be screened
The accused is a resident of Divshi-Wakipada in Dahanu town of Palghar district, Maharashtra. He was arrested by the Kasa police on April 17.
A 55-year-old accused, one of the 114 suspects, in the Palghar lynching case has tested positive for the coronavirus disease, Dr Dinkar Gavit, Medical Superintendent, Rural Hospital (RH), Palghar confirmed on Saturday.
The accused is a resident of Divshi-Wakipada in Dahanu town of Palghar district, Maharashtra. He was arrested by the Kasa police on April 17. He was lodged in the Wada police lockup along with 20 other accused in the murder case. He was produced before the Dahanu court and is remanded in police custody till May 14 along with other 114 accused. The other accused are lodged in the lockups at Wada, Dahanu, Kasa, Vikramgadh, Talasari and other police stations to avoid overcrowding due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The swab test of the accused was taken on April 28 which tested negative. On Saturday morning, another test was done which turned out positive for Covid-19, Dr Gavit said. He was admitted at RH, Palghar but after taking permission from higher authorities the patient is being transferred to the prison ward of JJ hospital, Mumbai, said Dr Gavit. “The accused did not show any symptoms of the virus till now but we are not taking any chances,” Dr Gavit said.
Meantime, around 43 people including 20 accused and 23 cops on escort duty for the accused, are being tested for the virus and samples have been taken.
Till now, Maharashtra’s Palghar district has reported 170 positive cases of coronavirus with 10 deaths including in Vasai-Virar corporation areas while 59 have been discharged after undergoing treatment. Till now, 2691 patients have tested negative and the reports of 188 patients are awaited said an official of the District Information Office (DIO), Palghar.