Team Herald
PANJIM: In a locked-down Goa, where the police force has been working tirelessly to ensure compliance of the lockdown and social distancing norms, Crime Branch office at Ribandar has been closed. Reason: a constable came in direct contact with his NRI relative, who has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently under hospital isolation. Though, the constable has tested negative for the virus, he has been home quarantined, and the CB office has been shut.
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Officers and personnel on frontline duties continue to remain on-field, but they have been asked not to visit the office. The remaining staffers also on duty are working from home.
The department is, however, reluctant to admit that the decision to close the office premises is due to fear of possible contamination, as a senior officer stated they are “heeding to lockdown orders from Monday”.
Herald contacted Inspector General of Police Jaspal Singh on the closure of CB, to which he said, “The functioning has not been shut. The ministerial staffers, including personal assistants, accounts section, etc, have been sent home. The executive staffers, who are on frontline duty, will continue to carry out their on-field duty.”
Sources told Herald that the constable, attached with the CB, reportedly met his relative on March 13-14 and continued his duty at the office. “He was tight-lipped that he had received his NRI relative from the airport. It was recently made known to us that he is related to one of COVID-19 patients. In fact, no sooner were we told that he met his foreign-returned relative the constable was put under home quarantine. Tests on him as well as his family were conducted,” a police source said.
The relief, for now, is that the constable has not shown symptoms of the virus and his reports are also negative. However, his quarantine period will continue. “We are monitoring his health situation,” a senior officer said.
CB has now been working with minimum staff. “All the staff in the CB has been taking precautions by using masks, hand sanitisers and hand rubs. But this instance is shocking. It has upset many that despite advisories, the constable threw health norms to the wind,” an officer said.
“I have been cleaning my hands even when I touch files in the office, but what was the use when the constable acted so irresponsibly,” another said. Some, who came in direct or indirect contact with the constable, are also taking precautions.
With the closure of the CB office, investigations into various cases, including the mining scam, have come to a standstill.
