Total 51 policemen and their kin have fallen prey to Covid-19 so far in State capital. However, the police have blamed the Tablighi Jamaat members for this mess.
Addl Director General of Police Upendra Jain said that till date 29 policemen from eight police stations and 22 of their kin have contracted the corona infection in the city.
After analysing the causes behind this situation, we came to know that the police force contracted the infection from Tablighi Jamaat members who were staying in Bhopal in different mosques until the Nizamuddin markaz incident came to fore and the policemen were asked to enquire about these visitors across the city, said Jain.
Tablighi J amaat members affiliated to 32 groups including some foreign based ones, were staying at different Bhopal mosques without informing the administration in February and March and after Nizamuddin incident, the administration had enquired into the matter.
“As police personnel were pressed into service to enquire about stay of these Jamaat members some of them, primarily from Aishbagh and Jehangirabad police station contracted infection as by then there was concrete information about people staying there and possibility of infection,” said the senior officer.
Constable Virendra Chuadhary from Aishbagh police station was one of those police personnel who was infected with the virus initially, Chaudhary was among 44 persons including several policemen who were discharged from Chirayu hospital amid fanfare on Wednesday.
The ADG further said these policemen who were infected by TJ members passed on the infection to their kin and colleagues and residents of police colonies as well. Jain affirmed till now, 29 policemen and 22 of their kin have reported corona infection in Bhopal.
As precautionary measure, the police administration has arranged for stay of on duty policemen, around 2200, in hotels, lodges and alternate accommodations so that their families and neighbours remain safe. Senior police officers too have kept them under quarantine for some time.
Police headquarters has been closed until April 26 as a precautionary measure after one of the clerks posted there reported covid19 positive status on Monday.
Clerk’s father, a driver of DG (Economic Offence Wing) too has contracted infection after which the EoW has been closed and staff has been home quarantined and sampling is being done.
PHQ staffers have been asked to work from home through e-mail and WhatsApp and report to office only in case of emergency work.