Head constable of Limbayat police station tests positive

TNN | Apr 28, 2020, 04:00 IST

He was part of surveillance team and used to do patrolling duty

Surat: A head constable, Sanjay Patil (48) posted at the Limbayat police station tested positive for Covid-19 positive on Monday. Limbayat zone of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has been declared a red zone due to high number of cases being recorded on a daily basis.
Patil, who was posted as police station officer in Limbayat police station recently, was earlier part of surveillance team and used to do patrolling duty. He is suspected to have come in contact with an SRP jawan who had tested positive recently.
“Patil was very careful and took all precautions. After he developed fever, he went for check-up and tested positive,” said one of his colleagues.
Limbayat police inspector V M Makwana said, “After the head constable tested positive, 34 cops were tested on Sunday for infection, but all turned out to be negative. Today 20 others have been tested and their results are awaited.”
Meanwhile, samples of eight persons including police inspector from Salabatpura police station were collected on Sunday night after a murder accused, who was in their custody for five days, tested positive for the coronavirus.
Chandkhan Pathan (22), a resident of Limbayat, was arrested on April 20 and was in custody of Salabatpura police station for Covid-19 test. Police were about to send him to Lajpore Central Jail (LCJ) when his report revealed he was infected with coronavirus. Pathan was admitted to New Civil Hospital (NCH).
“We are yet to get the test report of the cops. Very few of them came in touch with Pathan, so there is no threat to other staff members of police station,” said M V Kikani, police inspector, Salabatpura police station.
Besides Pathan, his brother Saddam, and his friend Mohammad Akhtar, were also arrested for their alleged involvement in a murder case. They were sent to LCJ on Sunday. But because Saddm had cold, he and Akhtar were sent to NCH on Monday by jail authorities.