COVID-19 patient flees from Mumbai hospital; FIR filed

 A man arrested in a drug case fled from a city hospital where he was admitted after testing positive for COVID-19, a police official said on Friday.

The Azad Maidan Police have registered an FIR against the patient after he fled from the south Mumbai-based hospital on Thursday, he said.

According to the official, the man was arrested by the Byculla police under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act last month.The 25-year-old was admitted to the state-run Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital after he tested positive for the viral infection a few days ago, he said.

After the patient escaped, the medical officer of the hospital lodged a police complaint on the basis of which the FIR was registered, he said.

He has been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 224 (resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension), the official added. 

A search was on to trace him and further investigation was underway, he added.