HUBBALLI: Hubballi-Dharwad police have decided to lodge all accused in the twin cities who are infected with COVID-19 at a separate COVID care centre at Heggeri in the city.
The idea of shifting all infected accused to a care centre came after one of them managed to escape from the KIMS COVID hospital recently. Police managed to trace the 55-year-old, who was accused of theft, within 12 hours and brought him back to Hubballi from Gadag.
As of now, three accused, from Suburban, Kasabapet and Ashok Nagar police stations, have tested positive for COVID-19 and all three have been shifted to the Heggeri care centre.
R Dileep, Commissioner of Police, said for safety reasons, they have come up with designated wards for infected accused. "We have deployed a number of policemen to guard the accused at the COVID care centre. If the number of accused increases at the centre, we will deploy more police," he said.
All infected accused are asymptomatic and it is difficult for the police to give protection at the KIMS COVID hospital which has multiple entrances and exits. Therefore they were all shifted to the Heggeri care centre where it will be easier for the police to keep tabs on them, said another police officer.
The police commissionerate has also come up with designated wards for infected police personnel. Around 12 police personnel and a few home guards have tested positive and many of them are asymptomatic. All have been shifted to the COVID care centre at Dharwad. Senior police officials have been making phone calls to the infected police personnel every day to boost their confidence.
A 58-year-old assistant sub-inspector from Vidyanagar police station breathed his last on Wednesday. He was admitted to KIMS hospital after he tested positive for COVID-19 recently. He was from Haveri and served at Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissionerate for the last few years. He is the first COVID warrior from the district to lose his life.