Delhi: 3 cops suspended for lying about coming in contact with COVID-19 positive colleague

Three Delhi Police constables of the metro unit were suspended for indiscipline after they lied about coming in contact with a fellow policeman who tested positive for COVID-19, a senior officer said on Friday.

The three were posted at the Shastri Park Police Station where a sub-inspector (SI) tested positive for coronavirus on April 28. The trio later claimed that they had performed duty with the infected policeman and should be sent home to self-isolate, police said.

"They claimed about coming in contact with the SI who tested positive for coronavirus but upon checking, we found that they had lied to skip duty," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Metro) Harendra Kumar Singh said.

According to another senior officer, the 57-year-old COVID-19 positive policeman was either at home or in the investigation officers' room at the police station for the last few days and had not gone out, a senior police officer said.

Instead of lying, the constables could have applied for leave or undergone a medical rest. Police are already rotating their staff so that no personnel is burdened, the officer said.

The sub inspector had fever on April 21 and was sent home after a medical examination. On April 23, his COVID-19 test was conducted at RML hospital and the report came out positive on April 28, following which he was admitted to Safdarjung hospital, police said.

Three other police personnel, who actually performed duty with the sub inspector, were tested at the Lady Hardinge Medical College and their reports are awaited. They have been sent for home isolation, police said.