Police Department worst hit by Covid, 55 +ve so far

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 14

The Ludhiana police are more affected by Covid-19 than any other government department in the district. As many as 55 police personnel of various ranks, including Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashwani Kapur, have tested positive for Covid so far. Assistant Commissioner of Police Anil Kohli had succumbed to the virus.

As per the data procured by The Tribune, after the death of Kohli, the Ludhiana police had stepped up testing of the staff. Till July 14, the samples of 4,184 policemen have been taken, of which 3,956 have tested negative.

The 55 police personnel testing positive include three jawans of Punjab Home Guards posted in the Vigilance Bureau of Ludhiana. More than 30 personnel have recovered and joined back duty. More than 20 staffers are under treatment. The reports of 173 personnel are pending.

Four personnel, including the additional SHO, of the Moti Nagar police station tested positive yesterday. The police station had to be closed for two days as the rest of 28 personnel were asked to home-quarantine themselves.

Police Commissioner Rakesh Agrawal said ever since the lockdown came into force, the Ludhiana police were working round the clock to ensure that people were following the prohibitory orders. While performing their duties in crowded areas, containment and micro-containment zones, the police personnel must have came in contact with infected persons.

Deputy Police Commissioner, Headquarters and Security, Akhil Chaudhary, who is supervising a campaign related to Covid-19, told The Tribune that keeping in view the sensitivity of the duties of the Ludhiana police, they had facilitated free Covid test for the police personnel at the Police Lines. A medical van has been pressed into service to conduct random medical check-ups of the staff deployed at nakas.