CISF officials succumbs to COVID-19; 13th death in CAPFs

A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official has succumbed to COVID-19, taking the total number of deaths in the paramilitary force to 55, officials said on Tuesday. This is the 13th death reported among the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). The deceased, head constable Chaudhari Narsingh Bhai, was posted in the 1st reserve battalion of the force based in Madhya Pradeshs' Barwaha town of Khargone district, a senior official said.

"The official succumbed to coronavirus on Monday. He was admitted to a hospital for an anaemic condition and had undergone a major surgery," he said.

This is the fifth death from the pandemic in the about 1.62 lakh personnel strong force, designated as the national civil aviation security force apart from guarding sensitive and vital installations in the aerospace and nuclear domain. The CRPF has reported four deaths, Border Security Force (BSF) two and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) one each.

As per data updated till June 6, over 1,670 personnel of the five CAPFs and the National Security Guard (NSG) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been infected with the disease till now. Out of the total cases, over 1,157 have recovered till June 6 and more than 510 personnel are admitted at various COVID-19 designated hospitals in the country, the data said.

The first case in these forces, functioning under the Ministry of Home Affairs, was detected on March 28.  These central forces, with a combined strength of about 10 lakh personnel, render a variety of security duties, law and order management, border guarding, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations and disaster rescue and relief.