Ludhiana police identifies 150 cops above 55 years, will not deal with people

Payal Dhawan | TNN | Updated: Apr 22, 2020, 11:52 IST

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LUDHIANA: The city police have identified 150 such cops who are aged above 55 years. These includes 10 gazetted officers and SHOs too. Taking precautionary measures of not losing cops to coronavirus, the Punjab Police department has issued directions, stating that no cop above the age of 55 years would perform duty as frontliners.
Following the direction, the Ludhiana commissionrate has identified 150 such cops, including those who are station house officers (SHO) too. Considering the current situation, wherein cops are also getting affected to Covid-19, many cops, including senior officials, have been asked to not do public dealing. Along with this, adjusting more cops in indoor duties would create little trouble for police department.
Ludhiana police have approximately 3,000 police personnel, out of which several are attached with senior officials as their security and for clerical work. There are about 125 checkposts in the entire city for enforcement of curfew and lockdown, besides PCR cops working on patrolling duty.
Deputy commissioner of police (headquarter) Akhil Chaudhary said, “We have identified 125 such cops who are working outdoors and are aged above 55 years. Most of these cops are being enrolled in indoor duties like in control room, with staff of other officials, who work while staying indoors.”
“Those who are SHOs, gazetted officers and are on supervision duty, but are aged above 55 years, can work, but that would depend on their willingness and detailed medical examination. On the basis of their willingness and their fitness, further call would be taken on their working in outdoors,” added DCP Chaudhary.
The Ludhiana police have lost assistant commissioner of police Anil Kohli, while three more cops, including an SHO, an ASI and a constable, have also tested positive to Covid-19. Besides, other cops too, including the ranks of DCP, ADCP, ACP, constable had come in contact of corona-positive patients. Therefore, all these cops have been asked to not do any more public dealing duty.
On this situation, commissioner of police Rakesh Agarwal said, “The Ludhiana police also have 2,500 volunteers, who are helping a lot. We are making adjustments of cops who are above the age of 55 years. 2,500 volunteers are working as hard as cops, so the police will easily manage it.”