714 police personnel infected with COVID-19 in Maharashtra; 194 cases of assault on cops during lockdown

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Mumbai: At least 714 police personnel have so far tested positive for coronavirus COVID-19 in Maharashtra, the state which has the highest number of over 19,000 cases, a data presented by Maharashtra Police said on Saturday (May 9). The 714 cases include 648 active cases, 61 recovery and 5 deaths. 

The data added that nearly 194 incidents of assault on police personnel during the lockdown period have been reported at various police stations in the state and 689 accused have been arrested in these cases.

On May 8, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had stated that as many as 98,774 cases were registered and 19,082 persons were arrested for violating prohibitory orders during the COVID-19 lockdown in the state. At least 98,774 offences were registered under section 188 (disobeying an order passed by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, the minister said.

The police department had issued over 3 lakh passes to people working for emergency services during the lockdown, Deshmukh said, while urging citizens to cooperate with health workers and the police in the fight against COVID-19

The authorities had quarantined 2,26,236 persons in the state and 653 were nabbed for violating quarantine norms, he said. A total of 86,246 calls were made to the police helpline 100 during the lockdown, the minister said.

At least 1,286 offences of illegal transport were registered, while 55,148 vehicles were seized for violating the lockdown, he said.
The police had collected fines to the tune of over Rs 3.66 crore for various offences ever since the lockdown was imposed prohibitory orders came into force in March.

The Maharashtra government had set up 4,729 relief camps, where 4,28,734 migrants, labourers and needy were housed, he added.