Cop discharged from hospital, says had backing of both families: at home and in khaki

The officer was received with a shower of flower petals on the premises of his police station in a brief ceremony before he went home to complete self quarantine for next 14 days.

A police sub-inspector, who had tested positive for Covid-19, was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday after completion of treatment.

The officer was received with a shower of flower petals on the premises of his police station in a brief ceremony before he went home to complete self quarantine for next 14 days.

“I have learnt that as cops we will have to be extremely careful if we want to continue doing our duty for citizens…What gave me strength was backing of my two families – one at home and one in khaki,” said the 33-year-old sub-inspector.

The PSI was admitted to a hospital after testing positive on May 18.

As on Wednesday, the total Covid-19 positive cases among the Pune City police personnel stood at 33, including 20 who have recovered while two who succumbed to the illness. The number of positive cases so far among police personnel across the state was 1,964, including 849 who have recovered while 20 have succumbed to the virus.

The sub-inspector had been on checkpoint and patrolling duties in some of the worst-affected areas due to coronavirus in the city. “On May 14, I developed mild body ache in the evening. I first thought it could have been due to change in weather. The ache continued on the next day, when I took a pill for fever. I had isolated myself in a room at some distance from my home in police quarters. On May 16, I decided to get tested after informing my senior officials. Two days later, my test results came and I was asked to get admitted.”

The officer added, “Fortunately, I only had body ache as symptom and no other problem… Later, my wife, two children and 15 of my colleagues were also tested. They all tested negative. Throughout the treatment, I had been getting calls from my senior officers asking about my condition. I knew that both my families – one at home and the other in khaki – was behind me and that gave me confidence.”

The officer was first recruited in police as a constable in Mumbai in 2007 and two years ago he cleared the examination for the Police Sub Inspector post and joined the Pune police in 2019.