The station house officer (SHO) of the local Focal Point police station was among those quarantined after the vehicle thief, Saurav Sehgal, 25, was caught and produced in a court on April 5.
Singh Deogan | HT
Seventeen policemen were placed under quarantine in Ludhiana on Thursday, two days after a thief they arrested tested positive for coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
The station house officer (SHO) of the local Focal Point police station was among those quarantined after the vehicle thief, Saurav Sehgal, 25, was caught and produced in a court on April 5. He was put in jail for a day at the Jeevan Nagar police post.
Two local residents who had helped the police in arresting Sehgal and 11 of the thief’s family members were also quarantined in the city’s Ganesh Nagar locality.
On April 6, the duty magistrate found Sehgal had a fever and cough and asked the police to put both the accused through a medical examination before sending them to judicial custody.
The duty magistrate and court staff have now been asked to go into self-isolation as a preventive measure.
SEARCH ON FOR ACCOMPLICE
The police are searching for Sehgal’s accomplice, Navjot Singh, 25, of Jhabewal village, who was also involved in snatchings, and escaped from the civil hospital when they were taken for the medical examination.
Assistant sub inspector Gurmeet Singh said Sehgal was unwell but Navjot looked fit. “The thief was sent to the isolation ward but the moment I opened Navjot’s handcuffs, he pushed me and fled,” the ASI said.
A case was registered against him under Section 224 of the Indian Penal Code.
CONTACT TRACING
Ten police personnel, including three ASIs, two head constables, two constables and two home guards of Jeevan Nagar police post, had come in contact with Sehgal on April 5 and 6.
The thieves were brought to the Focal Point police station for clicking a picture to be released with the press note. It was here that they came in contact with inspector Mohammad Jamil and a head constable.
The accused were taken to court and the civil hospital by three police personnel, including two ASIs and a home guard. Two constables, including a policewoman, came in contact with the accused while recording their fingerprints.