2 COVID +VE DRUG ACCUSED FLEE QUARANTINE CENTRE

ROHTAK: Two prisoners, who had tested positive for Covid-19 and were quarantined at a centre in Hisar’s Agroha, gave police the slip on Saturday.

Agroha police station in-charge Gurmeet Singh said the Sirsa police had arrested two men under the NDPS Act on August 2 and sent them to Hisar’s central jail.

“The drug smugglers tested positive for the virus on August 5 and since then, they were quarantined at a centre in Agroha. They gave four cops the slip on Saturday. The smugglers broke open the window of their room and fled the centre,” he added.

CHALLENGE FACED BY POLICE

As per reports, over 500 police personnel have tested positive for the virus in Haryana. Jind DIG Ashwin Shenvi said it was quite challenging for them to work during Covid-19 crisis as five cops have been found infected in the district.

“Our work suffered a lot as six of our police stations are not functioning. We have been seeking remand in very important cases and in most of them, the accused are sent to jail after obtaining a Covid-19 negative report.

We have been reducing the number of cops for any assignment. We request the public not to come in groups to lodge an FIR and visit the police stations only for important cases,” the DIG added. He said they were in regular touch with the infected and quarantined cops via mobile phones.

“Cops have been asked to inform their seniors if they experience any symptom and immediately contact the health officials,” he added.

To reduce the infection spread among cops and jail inmates, the Haryana government has designated one central and three district prisons as special jails (temporary jails) to keep all new male prisoners under judicial custody till their Covid-19 report arrives.

These special jails are Hisar’s Central Jail 2 and district jails of Karnal, Rewari and Faridabad.