E-Paper
2 more Mumbai cops succumb to Covid-19; Maharashtra toll up to 11
A 32-year-old assistant police inspector (API) posted at Dharavi and a 57-year-old police assistant sub-inspector (ASI) from Mumbai Police died from Covid-19 infection
A 32-year-old assistant police inspector (API) posted at Dharavi and a 57-year-old police assistant sub-inspector (ASI) from Mumbai Police died from Covid-19 infection on Saturday and Friday, respectively.
The API was posted as a crime detection officer at Shahu Nagar police station in Mahim (East), which covers the viral outbreak-hit Dharavi slums. After coming down with a fever and cough, he was sent on leave from May 10. On May 13, his sample was tested at Sion hospital and on Saturday morning his result came positive for Covid-19, according to zonal deputy commissioner of police, Niyati Thaker.
Around 5am on Saturday, he fell in the bathroom at his Pratiksha Nagar residence in Sion and lost consciousness. He was rushed to Sion hospital, where he was declared dead before doctors could treat him. The assistant inspector also suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes.
A colleague of the API, who was waiting at the hospital to take his body home, said, “He had a friendly and jovial nature. He had told his wife two days ago that he will die if he is not admitted to the hospital within 48 hours, and today he has left us.”
“Due to fever and cough, he was home quarantined since Sunday. For the last two days, he was trying to get himself admitted at Sion hospital but he was not allowed admission as he had not tested positive for Covid-19. On Friday, a senior inspector of Shahu Nagar police station contacted the hospital to get him admitted but could not get a positive response. If he was admitted two days ago he could have survived,” said another colleague of the deceased police officer.
Ahead of his death, the API had posted on social media: “Some gave Rs 5 crore while some gave Rs 500 crore. We (police) are giving our lives :)” The officer used to live with his wife, a doctor, and their four-year-old daughter.
In the second incident, the deceased ASI was working as a driver and was posted in the motor transport (MT) section of the Mumbai Police in Nagpada. HE was sent on leave 15 days ago, as, at the age of 57, he fell into the high-risk group. He died on Friday at a hospital. Additional commissioner Atul Patil of MT department and Mumbai Police spokesperson refused to release any further information on the ASI’s death.
Following the API’s demise, Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh visited the Shahu Nagar police station on Saturday. “It’s an extremely sad and unfortunate incident. He was quite young, just 32 years old. Everyone is Maharashtra is well aware of the efforts put in by the state police to fight against this pandemic. Police and health workers are risking their lives and working round the clock so we can win against the pandemic. Several of them have also lost their lives in the line of duty. The families of the deceased police personnel will be getting ₹65 lakh [compensation of ₹50 lakh, ₹10 lakh from the police welfare fund, and ₹5 lakh as insurance) and a government job to a family member. After a life is lost, any amount of money cannot compensate for it but our government and our public will always stand behind the police force. It’s a tough war but we will win it together,” Deshmukh said.
1,140 Covid-19 cases in state, 11 deaths
Within the Maharashtra Police, 1,140 personnel tested positive for Covid-19 till Saturday, including 538 from Mumbai Police, of whom, 949 belong to the rank of constable. The death toll in the police force has risen to 11; eight from Mumbai and one each from Pune, Solapur, and Nashik Rural. While one of the deaths is of an API rank officer, the rest are from the constabulary or ASIs.
(Inputs from Jayprakash S Naidu)