Mumbai: Two mobile phones, cash and valuable valued at ₹50,000 was allegedly stolen from the NESCO jumbo COVID centre after the patient succumbed to the infection. Police said that the incident occurred on April 27, after the senior citizen, Shashi Choran, 60, succumbed to COVID and the family went over to claim his belongings. A case of theft has been registered at Vanrai police station on Wednesday and further probe is underway.
The complainant, Premlata Maurya said that her uncle, Shashi, had tested positive for covid on April 24 and was admitted at NESCO Jumbo COVID centre in Goregaon East. Shashi was given an iPhone, a diary to pass his time and cash in case he finds himself in a problem, said Maurya. A couple of days later, however, Shashi's iPhone was stolen and the family arranged another mobile phone for him to communicate when he was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Shashi succumbed to the virus on April 27.
When the family reached to claim the body and collect it, they were surprised to find nothing but a wallet with ₹800 in it. The family then quizzed the COVID care centre authority, but did not find any leads. "While the authorities claimed they had no clue, my uncle's iPhone, a Samsung phone, cash worth ₹10,000 and a diary is missing. With a good heart, my uncle had carried ₹10,000 to give to his caretakers after he is discharged from the centre," said Maurya.
She then approached Vanrai Police and lodged a case of theft against unidentified persons. The accused has been booked under relevant section 379 of the Indian Penal Code. While police are scrutinizing the CCTV camera footage and making preliminary probe, no arrests have been made.
