Cop from Gujarat dies of Covid-19

Salem: A 49-year-old Gujarat police constable, who had come down to the city for election duty, died of Covid-19 on Tuesday night. On hearing about his demise, his father and sister, who were also tested positive for the virus, died at their native place on Wednesday.

A police source identified the deceased as Jithendra Suryavanshi, a constable with the armed reserve police.

“After testing positive for Covid-19, he was admitted to the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital on April 10. He was later shifted to a private hospital after his condition deteriorated. Doctors there found he was suffering from liver complications. He died on Tuesday without responding to treatment,” the source said.

He said they had alerted the police constable’s family members about his death the same night. “We were told that his father Doulath Bai, 78, and sister Mangal Ben, 52, had fallen unconscious on hearing the news. They were taken to a local hospital, where they were tested positive for the virus and died on Wednesday morning.”

The Salem city police have cremated Jithendra Suryavanshi’s body with police honours after getting consent from his family members.