One more head constable of the Mumbai Police succumbed to coronavirus at MGM Hospital in Navi Mumbai on Sunday, taking the total number of police personnel who have died of Covid-19 in a span of three days to two. The two deceased policemen were among 96 policemen who have tested positive across the State in recent weeks.
On its twitter handle @MumbaiPolice, the Mumbai Police announced the death of two of its head constables due to coronavirus. In a simultaneous tweet, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh said, “In the ongoing fight against coronavirus, we have lost two brave members of the Mumbai Police family — HC Chandrakant Ganapat Pendurkar & HC Sandip Surve. As a mark of respect to the departed souls, there shall be no tweets uploaded from my account today. Only responses will be given.”
While Pendurkar (57) was a head constable with the Vakola police station in north Mumbai, Surve (52) was a head constable with the Protection branch of the Mumbai Police.
While Pendurkar had died during treatment at Nair Hospital in Mumbai on Friday last, Surve died at the MGM Hospital on Sunday. “Surve died at around 4.45 am at MGM Hospital. After a surgery, he had recovered from cancer three years ago and returned to work,” a senior police officer said.
Since the outbreak of coronavirus in the State, as many as 96 police personnel have tested positive for the pandemic. The infected police personnel comprise 15 officers and 81 regular personnel, working constables and head constables.
Mourning the death of personnel of the Mumbai Police, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said: “We are waging an untiring battle to prevent the increase in the spread of coronavirus in the State. Whenever something happens, people ask: What are the police personnel doing? But, the same police personnel have been serving us day and night. It is rather unfortunate, two policemen have died of Covid-19.”
“The State Government stands solidly by the police force. We will provide all the assistance to the next of kin of the two policemen who died of coronavirus. Doctors, nurses and health workers are working overtime for you all and that too under considerable tension,” the Chief Minister said.
Meanwhile, 31 of the 53 journalists, including television cameramen, reporters, print photographers and web reporters - who had been quarantined in a Mumbai hotel on April 20 after they tested positive for coronavirus - were discharged from a city hospital on Sunday, after they tested negative in two subsequent tests.
“All the 31 discharged journalists have been advised to remain home-quarantined for the next 14 days,” a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation spokesperson said.
Two of the 31 journalists who were discharged from the hospital, were accorded a warm reception at the Press Enclave at Sion’s Pratiksha Nagar locality in north-central Mumbai.
It may be recalled that the swab samples of 167 journalists were taken at a camp held near the Mumbai Press Club on April 16 and 17. The test reports came on April 20. Of the 167 journalists, 53 tested positive. They were initially quarantined at a city hotel and later shifted to a hospital.