Many police personnel forced into quarantine after seven test positive posthumously in Chandigarh

Five of seven, who test positive posthumously, including a woman, reportedly died by suicide. The exact cause of death of the other two people is yet to be confirmed.

As many as seven persons, who were found dead in various parts of Chandigarh by the local police, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus posthumously so far, forcing police personnel to quarantine themselves.

Five of those people, including a woman, reportedly died by suicide. The exact cause of death of the other two people is yet to be confirmed.

Police said Devinder Singh, 40, a guard with an industrial godown in phase-2, was found dead on September 11 and tested Covid-19 positive at GMCH-32 on Sunday, forcing at least half a dozen police personnel of PS 31 to isolate themselves.

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“Such cases turn more vulnerable when family members and circumstances, under which bodies were recovered, are forced to conduct the postmortem examination of bodies. In the case of guard Devinder Singh also, the postmortem of the body is necessary. In all the previous reported cases when victims were found Covid-19 positive after their demise, a number of police personnel were advised to stay in isolation,” said sources.

“A liquor bottle along with a small bottle of celphus tablets was recovered from near the body. These were mysterious circumstances. We preserved the body for a postmortem examination, which will be held following the protocols related to Covid-19,” said a police officer.

Notably, as many as 45 police personnel have tested positive for the virus so far.

On August 13, 24-year old Pooja, who died by suicide at Kajheri in Sector 56, was tested Covid-19 positive. Police personnel from PP Kajheri-61 had rushed the woman to GMCH-32.

On August 12, a resident of Sector 21, Jatinder Kumar, who had committed suicide August 10, was tested Covid-19 positive. The body was tested at GMCH-32.

On July 24, Sepoy Manoj of Defense Security Corps, who shot himself on duty with his Insass rifle, tested Covid-19 positive after his death. Police personnel from PS 31 had touched the body, transported it to GMCH-32 and even seized his service rifle. Later, they came to know about the sepoy’s positive status.