The Assam police have initiated a probe into a few of their officers allegedly “attending a party with alcoholic beverages” aboard a luxury cruise during curfew hours and lockdown.
Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna has ordered the inquiry with reference to a “damaging report” regarding the partying on Monday evening. The party was organised on the Brahmaputra off Guwahati, where a majority of more than 13,000 COVID-19 positive cases have been reported.
“This reflects very poorly on the policemen and displays total disregard to orders under the Disaster Act,” the Chief Secretary said seeking a report and disciplinary proceedings against the personnel.
“It is also directed that policemen under your command may be directed to scrupulously follow orders issued by the government and not display actions which are detrimental to the rule of law,” said the order addressed to Guwahati’s Commissioner of Police Munna Prasad Gupta.
Mr. Gupta said Joint Commissioner of Police Debaraj Upadhaya has been told to conduct an inquiry and submit the report.
At least 20 officials under the Commissionerate of Police, Guwahati, had reportedly attended the birthday party of a colleague on the cruise, which under normal circumstances ferries tourists. A few officers of the rank of SP were among them.
The development has coincided with many police personnel testing positive till Tuesday and more than 900 in quarantine.
“A total of 308 police personnel have tested positive, of whom 68 have recovered,” Additional DGP (Law and Order) G.P. Singh said.
7 dead in 24 hours
The COVID-19 toll increased to 21 with seven people, six of them men, succumbing to co-morbidities within 24 hours since Tuesday.
Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the youngest of the five victims on Wednesday was 30 while the others were aged between 60 and 75 years. They were on invasive ventilation, had severe pneumonia, urosepsis and septic shock, he added.
Two more people, one of them a woman, died on Tuesday when the healthcare authorities had launched a door-to-door test in Pandu, one of the most densely populated localities in the city.
Assam has recorded 13,336 positive cases of which 4,988 are active. While 8,329 people recovered, three migrated to other States.
