Cop who died of cardiac arrest in K'taka found to have COVID-19

Bengaluru: An assistant sub-inspector of police who died of heart attack was found to be infected with coronavirus, while two of his colleagues at the police station here have also contracted the infection.

Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao said, “It”s true that an ASI at VV Puram traffic police station died of COVID-19 and two others have tested positive in the police station.”

The ASI attached to V V Puram traffic police station has been suffering from high blood pressure since April this year, police said on Tuesday. He was on leave from May 15 to 31. Again, he joined duty on June 1 and went on leave from June 11.

On June 13, he collapsed at home and was taken to a private hospital where he died of cardiac arrest.

After the death, he was found positive for coronavirus, they said. Joint Commissioner of Police (traffic), Dr B R Ravikanthe Gowda told PTI that after the death of the ASI, all the staff have been home quarantined.

“The police station is closed for two days for sanitisation,” he said.

Following the confirmation, other staff members underwent tests and two of them tested positive, police said.

The police department has instructed all the stations to keep the elderly staff off field duty in order to protect them from the virus.