Mumbai: A month on, kin of first policeman to succumb to Covid awaits govt’s Rs 50 lakh solatium

57-year-old Chandrakant Pendurkar was the first policeman from the state to have succumbed to Covid-19. So far, 18 police personnel from the state have died due to the infection, while 1,809 have tested positive till May 24.

A month after 57-year-old police constable Chandrakant Pendurkar died, his family is yet to receive the solatium of Rs 50 lakh announced by the state government in the first week of April. Pendurkar was the first policeman from the state to have succumbed to Covid-19. So far, 18 police personnel from the state have died due to the infection, while 1,809 have tested positive till May 24.

“Soon after my father’s death, I got a call from the Maharashtra Home Minister. He offered condolences to my family. Apart from him, there were many senior police officials who contacted us and offered to help. I was overwhelmed by their gestures,” says Pendurkar’s 27-year-old son, who stays in the family’s 10 ft-by-10 ft room at Prem Nagar in Worli. He lives with his 54-year-old mother, 25-year-old brother, and a 23-year-old sister.

Pendurkar, who was admitted to the Nair Hospital with high fever, cough and cold, died on April 24. As his Covid-19 test showed that he was infected by the virus, his family was quarantined at a hotel in Worli and only allowed to go home on May 8. Since then, the 27-year-old says, he is yet to hear from the officials of the state government on the compensation announced for policemen just two weeks after his father’s death.

On May 6, the Maharashtra had issued a government resolution sanctioning Rs 50 lakh to the family members of the three constables, including Pendurkar, who had succumbed to the infection in the last week of April.

Constable Sandeep Surve, who was posted at the Protection and Security Branch of Mumbai Police, had succumbed to the infection on April 26, while traffic police personnel, Shivaji Sonawane, died a day later.

In the early hours of Monday, a 57-year-old police constable attached to the traffic department also succumbed to coronavirus. He was admitted to the BYL Nair Hospital with fever. His swabs, taken Sunday, tested positive for the virus just two hours before he died.

When contacted, Special Inspector General Krishna Prakash said, “Just two days ago, the state government has transferred money in the state police’s bank account. We will soon start allotting it to the families.” The solatium amount will be transferred to the commissioner concerned, which will then be hand it over to the bereaved families.

Apart from the compensation of Rs 50 lakh, the family of policemen from Mumbai, who lose their life due to Covid-19, are entitled to receive Rs 10 lakh from the Mumbai Police Welfare Funds, while kin of personnel posted outside the city get Rs 10 lakh from the State Police Martyrs’ Funds.

“Last week, a Deputy Commissioner of Police visited my family and gave us a cheque of Rs 10 lakh from the Mumbai Police Foundation,” Pendurkar’s son said.

Surve’s brother, who is also employed with the Mumbai Police, said his family, too, received Rs 10 lakh from the Mumbai Police Welfare Fund but were yet to hear anything from the state government on the Rs 50 lakh solatium.

Apart from the compensation, a family member of the policeman who died due to Covid-19 also gets a job in the department.

As a token of appreciation, the Mumbai Police have been giving Rs 10,000 to each policeman who has been infected while performing their duty. So far, 1,004 Mumbai policemen have been infected by the virus and the department has transferred the amount to the bank accounts of 710 infected policemen.