Three cops succumb to Covid-19 in a day; toll rises to 37 in Mumbai police

MUMBAI: Three policemen, all above 50 years of age and having comorbidities, succumbed to Covid-19 in Mumbai on Thursday. The toll has reached 37 in the city police force and 56 in Maharashtra.
Constable Sanjay More, 53, from the Samta Nagar police station was on leave since June 13. He was diabetic. When he took ill on June 19, his family rushed him to a private hospital in the western suburbs. But he did not get better. On June 23, he was moved to the Gurunanak Hospital at Bandra where he tested positive for Covid. Colleagues said he had a fever and a throat infection. "We spoke to him over the phone on Wednesday night. But his condition nosedived thereafter and by 7am on Thursday, he passed away," said an officer. His Dahisar based family will undergo tests for the virus.
Head constable Bhamdev Shedge, 54, from the Dadar police station, also a diabetic, was admitted to the Hinduja Hospital earlier this month and was undergoing treatment. On a ventilator, his condition deteriorated on Wednesday and he passed away on Thursday. Shedge lived at the Mahim police quarters and is survived by his wife and children. He is the second policeman from Dadar to succumb to the virus. Both, Shedge and his colleague, Sharad Mohite, who had fallen prey to the disease earlier, had been posted for duty at the Worli Koliwada containment zone, which was one of the worst affected in the city.
Assistant sub-inspector Pandurang Pawar, 53, from the Marine Drive police station was Thursday's third police casualty. Pawar suffered from blood pressure and was admitted to Andheri's Seven Hills Hospital on June 14 after he tested positive for Covid.
“My father was healthy and would go to the police station for duty,” said Priyanka, Pawar’s daughter, who is studying nursing in Nashik. Pawar is survived by his wife and four daughters; one of whom is married. The family lives in Girgaum. Only two days ago, on June 23, another Marine Drive cop, Suryakant Jadhav, had succumbed to Covid-19. Jadhav, 55, had had no previous ailment.
At present, over 990 policemen from Maharashtra are Covid positive.