Covid-19: Cured Himachal Pradesh cop gets grand welcome

DHARAMSHALA: Himachal Pradesh Police accorded a grand welcome to a cop when he reached his remote village in Kangra on Saturday, after recovering from Covid-19, which he had contracted in the line of duty, An ambulance reached Panchrukhi amid tunes of the police’s band. Top officers, including district magistrate, too were present.

Kangra superintendent of police (SP) Vimukt Ranjan said they had arranged the welcome as people had started looking at Covid-19 as a social taboo . “We also wanted to spread the message that Covid-19 is just another illness.We have to follow safety measures to avoid its spread, but not boycott families whose members have been infected,” he said.

The cop was found positive earlier this month, after which the police station he was posted at was sealed and other staff quarantined. He tested negative a day before and was discharged on Friday afternoon. He will be in quarantine now.

Kangra deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar Prajapati too said there was social stigma attached to the virus. “I had to send senior officials to a patient’s home who had recovered as people in his village had boycotted his family,” said Prajapati.