Police personnel across the state observed two-minute silence on Thursday.
Tamil Nadu Police lost its first police officer to coronavirus on Wednesday evening. His remains were laid to rest with full honours on Thursday morning. The 47-year-old Inspector S Balamurali was serving at the Mambalam Police Station in Chennai. He is survived by his wife and two children, aged nine and 13.
His body was laid to rest with a 30-gun salute by the Armed Reserve Police and police personnel across the state observed a two-minute silence led by Director General of Police (DGP) JK Tripathy on Thursday.
According to The Hindu, Chennai City Police Commissioner AK Viswanathan has said that about 248 personnel were in institutional quarantine and another 216 were in home quarantine. He also said that about 39 police personnel were being treated at city hospitals.
Tamil Nadu on Thursday witnessed the burial of two uniformed service personnel. The first one was that of Army soldier K Palani, who was killed in the clash with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh on Monday, and the second was that of the Inspector who succumbed to coronavirus.
Condoling the death of the policeman, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said that a government job would be given to one of his family members.
The Inspector had tested positive for coronavirus earlier this month and breathed his last at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) on Wednesday evening. Over 700 police personnel have tested positive for coronavirus in the state since its outbreak, of which more than 250 have been cured and rejoined duty.
On Thursday, 2,141 new patients of COVID-19 were reported from the state. The state has 23,965 active COVID-19 cases as of June 18 and has reported that 28,641 persons have been discharged so far.
(With inputs from IANS)
Source: The News Minute