Pune: 23 police personnel from Maharashtra State’s Wireless Police headquarters in Pune test positive for the novel coronavirus. 43 other members of the staff are now in quarantine.

The wireless headquarters is located in Pashan area near Chavannagar area which is adjacent to the Pune rural police headquarters where around 180 police personal are deployed here. The Wireless headquarters is situated just opposite to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Maharashtra State as well as near the Centre of Police Research.

After the rising number of cases reported from the wireless department, police units in the vicinity have been asked to be more vigilant and take extra care in order to curtail the spread of the virus.

The department of wireless police is working 24*7 from over three months. Initially, a couple of coronavirus positive cases were reported but on Saturday the number jumped to 23.  Two senior officers including 47 other personnel are now under quarantine who were in contact with them.

Talking to Sakal Times, Superintendent of Police (Wireless) Smartana Patil said, “Around 70 police personnel who were verse with wireless had called to Pune for an MPIS project.  All were staying in the hostel.  We had given them regular medicine and adequate care was taken as well as social distancing norm with were taken. Despite, two cases came up initially of COVID-19. We called Pune Municipal Corporation’s health department to conduct tests.”

She added, "During test around 14 police personnel tested positive and the number reached to 23. We have quarantined 47 other staff."

Chandrakant Dakhane, Deputy Superintendent of Police (wireless) in charge at headquarters admitted the fact and said, "We have been taking adequate care and protection of this pandemic as per the norms laid down by the health ministry but do not know how it reached our staffers in such wild way.  After the alarming number, we have sanitised our entire building and premises."