COVID-19+ve Father-Son, Arrested For Attacking Cops, Infect 20 In MP

A coronavirus positive man and his son, arrested under the National Security Act (NSA) for attacking on-duty police officers in a containment zone in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, have infected 20 people with the highly contagious disease, officials have said.

An IPS officer posted in Jabalpur, two prison guards and 17 prisoners of Indore Central Jail are among those infected with the virus.

The 17 prisoners were among the 125 inmates of the Indore jail, quarantined at a special isolation centre at OBC Hostel in Indore's Asrawad Khurd area.

"17 inmates and two guards at the temporary jail have tested positive for the coronavirus," said Praveen Jadia, Indore's chief medical and health officer.

The father and son were arrested with five others on April 7 from Indore's Chandan Nagar area. While the son was sent to a prison in Jabalpur, his father was sent to the Indore Central Jail.

The Indore Central Jail superintendent, Rakesh Kumar Bhangre, said one of the arrested men was lodged in an isolation ward as he had been held from a containment zone.

"On April 10, we came to know that his NSA detainee son had tested positive for the deadly virus, after which the father was shifted to Indore's MY Hospital the next day. He was tested positive on April 14. Since then, he has been hospitalized," said Mr Bhangre.

"As many as 125 inmates of the jail, who had COVID-19-like symptoms, were quarantined, followed by their coronavirus tests. Out of them, 17 have tested positive on Monday night. Two jail guards have also been tested positive," he added.