Maha police death toll rises to 70; 43 from city

THE MUMBAI POLICE RECORDED A TOTAL OF 2,975 CASES, OF WHICH, 535 ARE UNDERGOING TREATMENT WHILE 2,397 HAVE RECOVERED

MUMBAI: The number of personnel in the Mumbai Police who tested positive for Covid-19 continued to rise on Monday, with the total now at 2,975. Of the total cases, 535 personnel are currently undergoing treatment, while 2,397 have recovered. The number of fatalities in the city police force stands at 43, while the toll for the state police force has reached 70 after three more personnel from Mumbai, Thane and Amravati died.

Among the new cases in the Mumbai Police, a senior inspector from Bandra police station and two assistant inspectors of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) tested positive for Covid-19.

According to Bandra police officers, the senior inspector’s driver had fever and tested positive for the virus, following which the senior inspector also got tested. His result arrived on Saturday. “The senior police inspector is asymptomatic and is in home quarantine,” said an officer.

In another case, a 57-year-old police head constable’s son has complained to Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on Twitter, alleging that his father, who is due for retirement in 10 months, contracted the virus due to negligence of the department. He also claimed that five other members of his family also got infected because of it. He said that though his father was aged above 55 and was exempted from duty, he was called on duty by the police station in-charge and deputed in containment zones.

However, senior police officers denied the allegation stating that a departmental inquiry was already conducted into the case and the allegations are baseless.

“The government resolution issued in June asked all government employees to come on duty at least once a week. The senior police inspector followed this and called the head constable to be on duty. The head constable was never assigned duty in any risky area. He is suspected to have contracted the virus from the building he was staying in which had infected people. The building has been sealed now. All rules were followed properly and the allegations are baseless. The police station in-charge did not flout any rule,” said Ravindra Patil, assistant commissioner of police (Kurla division), who conducted the inquiry in the matter.