2 city cops succumb to Covid, Maha toll up to 11
A 32-year-old assistant police inspector (API) posted at Dharavi and a 57-year-old assistant sub-inspector (ASI) from city’s motor transport department died from Covid-19 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 virus-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, the
API fell in the bathroom at his Pratiksha Nagar residence and lost consciousness. He was rushed to Sion hospital, where he was declared dead. The officer 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 told his wife two days ago that he would die if he was not admitted within 48 hours.” The API 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 did not release further details on the ASI’S death.
Following the API’S demise, Maharashtra home minister Anil
Deshmukh visited the Shahu Nagar police station on Saturday. “The families of the deceased police personnel will receive ₹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,” said Deshmukh.
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 has risen to 11 – eight from Mumbai and one each from Pune, Solapur, and Nashik Rural. While one API rank officer died, the rest were from the constabulary or ASIS.