State loses first police officer to corona as 47-year-old inspector dies

Chennai

Law and order inspector attached to the Mambalam police station tested positive on June 5 and was quarantined at Mahanadhi hostel, IIT-Madras campus, like other police personnel who tested positive. When his condition worsened, he was transferred to RGGGH after two days.

On Saturday, doctors informed higher officials in the police department that Balamurali's condition was critical. Following that, Commissioner AK Viswanathan and other officials stepped up and stood guarantee to buy a crucial drug which was not easily available. It is said that three doses of the vaccine cost about Rs 2.25 lakh and a separate medical crew monitored him.

Though the officer initially showed signs of improvement, he succumbed to the virus on Wednesday evening, sending the entire police department to a state of shock. Even as 731 police personnel tested positive to COVID in the city alone and 238 of them have been discharged after treatment, this is the first time, a police official has died of the coronavirus in the State.

Balamurali, a native of Vellore district, joined the police department as a sub-inspector in 2000 and was promoted as an inspector in 2010. He has served as an inspector in Neelankarai, KK Nagar and Mambalam police stations.

Inspector Thangaraj of Nandambakkam police station, who has worked with Balamurali as in-charge of the crime wing in KK Nagar, remembers his colleague as a sincere officer and a good human being. "He was also a friend. Both of us are from the same batch and we worked together in KK Nagar," said Thangaraj.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami condoled the demise of inspector Balamurali and promised a government job to one of his family members. Balamurali is survived by his wife and two children aged 13 and 9.

Across the nation, 74 police personnel have died of COVID-19, and as many as 43 of the deaths have been reported in Maharashtra alone.