SRPF reports first casualty as PSI dies of Covid-19; Maha Police’s toll reaches 48

A 51-year-old police sub-inspector (PSI), who was heading a company of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), died of Covid-19 at SevenHills Hospital on Sunday,

A 51-year-old police sub-inspector (PSI), who was heading a company of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), died of Covid-19 at SevenHills Hospital on Sunday, taking the toll of the state police to 48. The officer had come to Mumbai after additional security forces were called in to aid the exhausted Mumbai Police force. “This is the first casualty from the SRPF,” said Archana Tyagi, additional director general of police (SRPF).

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The PSI was attached to the Jalna SRPF group 3 and was a platoon commander having over 100 jawans under his command.

Around four SRPF men from the officer’s company had tested positive for the coronavirus. However, it is still unclear how he contracted the virus.

“The company had returned to Jalna, but the PSI stayed in Mumbai as he got a fever. He was admitted to SevenHills Hospital after he tested positive. While undergoing treatment on Sunday morning, he succumbed to the infection,” said Tyagi.

The officer was last deployed in the jurisdiction of the Oshiwara police station and was accommodated at Santacruz police station.

His two brothers are also in SRPF. On Sunday evening, the PSI’s last rites were performed in Jalna, where his wife and two sons reside.

An SRPF officer said that many of the force’s personnel had contracted the virus but immediate measures were taken by the top brass to contain the spread.

Tyagi said that till Sunday, a total of 741 SRPF jawans tested positive for Covid-19, of which 648 have been discharged from hospital. “The recovery rate [among SRPF] is around 86% and we hope to increase it more,” the senior IPS officer said.

In the last 24 hours, around 88 new cases of Covid were reported in the Maharashtra Police force. The total number of positive cases has now risen to 4,048, with 48 deaths reported.