Head constable tests positive

A 55-year-old head constable with Hyderabad police is said to have tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.

The police top brass went into a huddle as the news broke. The head constable in question actively took part in religious activities, sources said.

Preliminary information gathered by police suggested that the head constable used to spend a lot of time interacting with people at places of worship. It is also understood that he was not among the Markaz Nizamuddin returnees.

A senior police officer said 12 more constables and head constables with whom the victim interacted at the police station were advised home quarantine and their swabs were sent for testing.

“Those who test positive will be shifted to Gandhi Hospital for treatment,” he said, requesting anonymity, worried that the news would create panic among the uniformed personnel.

“Two days ago, the head constable experienced stomach ache and his head started spinning. Soon, the family rushed him to a private hospital, where doctors suspected him to have contracted COVID-19 and shifted him to Gandhi Hospital,” the officer said.