Four Mumbai cops die since Friday night, one of whom was to retire in 17 days

MUMBAI: Four Mumbai police personnel, one of whom was to retire at the end of this month, succumbed to Covid-19 since Friday night. With these deaths, coronavirus toll among the city police force has risen to 26 while that in the state is now 40. Senior police officers say they are concerned about the dipping morale in the force and the tough task at hand to motivate personnel to go on field duty.
Constable Hemant Kumbhar (51) from Dindoshi police station succumbed to the virus late on Friday. Officers said he was on duty at the police station and is likely to have contracted the virus on the job. “Kumbhar worked closely with an inspector in charge of crime investigation. Both of them tested positive. On June 4, Kumbhar was admitted to Seven Hills Hospital. But while the inspector recovered and was discharged, Kumbhar couldn’t make it," said a senior officer. His family has tested negative.

On Saturday, three personnel from Borivli, Vakola and the protection branch succumbed to the virus—perhaps the highest number of casualties in a single day.
Health-conscious constable Sandesh Kini’s death shocked all at Borivli police station. Kini (47) was a beat marshal. “On June 8, he was admitted to Star Hospital at Nalasopara close to his residence. He was recovering but his condition deteriorated on Friday. He succumbed to the virus on Saturday. He had no comorbidities,” said an officer.
Head constable Ashok Kamble (58) from Vakola police station was just 17 days away from his retirement when he died at a private hospital in Santacruz East on Saturday morning. After police commissioner Parambir Singh asked policemen above 55 to go on mandatory leave from April, Kamble was working from home. He would come to the police station once a week. He was rushed to Niron Hospital when he started feeling breathless on Friday. Colleagues said he is survived by his wife and two children. Assistant sub-inspector Deepak Lole (55) from the protection branch had complained of breathlessness and was hospitalized at Navi Mumbai.