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Two COVID-19 positive inmates escape from prison in Pune

The Pune City Police are on the lookout for two COVID-19 positive prisoners who broke out from a temporary prison near Yerwada jail on Thursday morning.

The two — identified as Anil Vetal, a resident of Bhima Koregaon; and Vishal Kharat, a resident of Nigdi in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area — had been arrested for rioting and attempt to murder.

The Shikrapur police had arrested Vetal in a case of assault and robbery, while Kharat had been caught by the Chikhli police for attempted homicide. Both were on the first floor of the temporary jail on expiry of their respective police custody and recently tested positive. Sources said they escaped sometime after Wednesday midnight.

The police has appealed to people to inform them on the whereabouts of the two as they could be potential spreaders of COVID-19

Pune has witnessed at least four such incidents since lockdown in March. In July, five undertrials lodged in a government hostel, which had been converted into a temporary prison, near Yerwada escaped by breaking the grille of the window in their room. Three of them were history-sheeters who had been booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. However, the police traced and arrested all five.

Mumbai Mayor tests positive

Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Thursday said she has tested positive for COVID-19. Ms. Pednekar said her rapid antigen test returned positive, but she is asymptomatic. “As I don’t have any symptoms I have home quarantined myself as per the doctors’ advice,” she said in a tweet. She has appealed to people who have come in her contact to take necessary precautions.

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