Recovered GRP cop gets hero’s welcome

After almost 16 days in hospital, a 51-year-old officer of the Government Railway Police (GRP) received a hero’s welcome when he returned to his home in Kalyan on

After almost 16 days in hospital, a 51-year-old officer of the Government Railway Police (GRP) received a hero’s welcome when he returned to his home in Kalyan on Thursday evening. Approximately 500 people greeted Vijay Kumar Shelar, many singing the national anthem in his honour. “It was emotional for my father. He couldn’t hold back his tears,” said his 26-year-old son, Rohan. For the family, to have the 51-year-old back is a great relief. Diagnosed late, the railway officer had spent 10 days on a ventilator. “My mother was most scared and kept crying. She wouldn’t eat and waited for my father’s health updates from the hospital,” said Rohan.

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Employed with the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) GRP, the officer developed symptoms of Covid-19 — fever, cold and cough — towards the end of March and was prescribed medicines for seasonal influenza by a general physician. Around the time his symptoms developed, Shelar had been assigned the responsibility of taking undertrial prisoners to and from Taloja Central Jail. He had no history of foreign travel or contact with any Covid-positive patient. When his condition deteriorated, he was taken to Kasturba Hospital where a test confirmed he was positive for Sars-Cov-2, which causes Covid-19.

On April 1, the officer was shifted to Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital-managed treatment centre at SevenHills, in Marol, when his lungs started failing. He remained on a ventilator till April 10.

“He doesn’t remember anything about those 10 days when he was on a ventilator. We would [later] ask what happened in those days and he would make up stories,” said Rohan.

After testing negative for Sars-Cov-2 twice, the railway officer was discharged on Thursday. His family said he is still very weak.