COVID-19 positive woman escapes from AIIMS, husband files missing report to deceive police

New Delhi, October 21

In a bizarre turn of events, a 20-year-old woman who tested positive for coronavirus at AIIMS here allegedly escaped from the hospital, even as her husband filed a missing person complaint despite knowing her whereabouts, police said on Wednesday.

According to police, the woman went to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on October 18 as she was unwell.

She got herself tested for the infectious disease and was found positive.

The hospital staff asked her to get admitted at the dedicated COVID centre, but she escaped from there, they said.

Meanwhile, the woman's husband filed a police complaint alleging that his wife has gone missing, police said.

During the course of investigation, it was found that the woman, after leaving the hospital, managed to reach her rented house in Zamrudpur village in south Delhi. Fearing that she would be caught, she left for her maternal house, a senior police official said.

“Her relatives, however, said that she had not reached her maternal house,” he said.

The police said the woman's husband was aware that she was COVID-19 positive and had escaped from AIIMS. He filed the missing person complaint to mislead the police.

“A case has been registered under IPC section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) at the Greater Kailash Police Station.

“The matter is being investigated and teams have been formed to trace the couple,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Atul Kumar Thakur said.

Once the woman is traced, more details would be clear, he said.

PTI