COVID-19 Positive Woman In Pune Jumps Home Quarantine, Flies To Sharjah

Pune: A 30-year-old asymptomatic woman, who flew to Sarjah from Mumbai, cutting short her home quarantine, has been booked by the Hinjewadi police, Pune.

The matter came to light after the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) health officials lodged an FIR with the Hinjewadi police on Monday night against the woman for violating quarantine rules.

“The woman was stamped on her wrist. An undertaking was also taken to ensure that she will respect the rules. She was being monitored by the call centre, but she escaped in the period between two calls,” TOI quoted PCMC’s chief medical officer Pavan Salve as saying.

On July 18, the woman sent a message to PCMC health official Amit Mane stating that she had reached Dubai and her COVID-19 test report at the Sharjah international airport stated negative.

The woman, who stays in Dubai with her chartered accountant husband, was stuck in Pune for the last three months due to the lockdown.

She had flown down to Pune to complete the transaction of a flat which they had purchased in Punawale. On being tested for COVID-19, her report had come out positive.

Meanwhile, the woman has been booked under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 and 270 (negligent and malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code and the relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act.

The police are investigating how the woman travelled to Mumbai from Pune during the lockdown and how did she take a flight to Sharjah despite having a ‘home quarantine’ stamp.

Pimpri Chinchwad’s assistant commissioner of police (Wakad division) Shridhar Jadhav said, “We will write to the Indian embassy so that she faces action when she visits India again.”