Erring order leads to mass COVID-19 cases in CRPF, hundreds exposed

In this article, senior journalist Sanjib Kr Baruah outlines how an erring order by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the CRPF Battalion commandments, on the quarantine period for personnel joining back duty, may have proved very costly for 31st Battalion.

New Delhi: A possible blunder in a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order issued to the CRPF Battalion commandments on the quarantine period for personnel joining back duty may have proved very costly for 31st Battalion in east Delhi’s Mayur Vihar and a few other units that are under watch now.

Of the total 1,100 CRPF men from the battalion, 122 have tested positive for COVID-19 till now, while the total number of the paramilitary men who may have been exposed to the virus is expected to be at least 600 from the 31st battalion, multiple sources have told ETV Bharat.

Sparked by the fear that many COVID-19 cases may come in from at least two more Battalions of the paramilitary forces deployed in Delhi amid reports of many cases reportedly from the Welfare Branch of the CRPF headquarters at Delhi’s Lodi Road, the CRPF top brass on Saturday ordered the setting up a COVID care centre in Bawana, in Delhi’s outskirts, that will be equipped with prefabricated hutments and tents spread across several acres.

Morbidity in paramilitary personnel has immense significance for the preparedness of the force that is mandated with the maintenance of internal security in the country.

The immensely contagious novel coronavirus spreads much easily in the typical police barracks where social distancing norms are difficult to follow.

Read:122 troopers from single CRPF battalion test COVID-19 positive

The sudden lockdown from March 24 had resulted in the CRPF authorities asking its personnel who were on leave to report for duty on their respective rejoining dates at their nearest Battalions so as to complete leave and rejoining formalities.

After joining, all personnel were to be kept under quarantine for 14 days.

But an order issued on April 1, 2020, cut down the quarantine period from 14 to a mere five days.

That was when 55-year-old CRPF sub-inspector Ikram Hussain, from CRPF’s 162 Battalion deployed in Kashmir, who reported for duty at the Mayur Vihar Battalion on April 7, was ordered to be on duty on April 12.

On April 17, another order was issued, rectifying the five-day quarantine order to 14 days. The same day, Hussain got himself tested on not feeling well.

The test result that he was COVID-19 positive came on April 19. Hussain passed away on April 27 at Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital. But by that time, the damage was already done.

The sources also told ETV Bharat that on April 27, the commandant of the 31st Battalion was issued a show-cause notice as to why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him.

To which, the commandant produced the directive issued by the Additional Director-General (medical) that had ordered a five-day quarantine period.

Interestingly, the ADG (medical) reports to the Union Home Ministry and not to the DG-CRPF.