Bengaluru: Suspect tests positive for COVID-19, CCB office sealed

A view of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) headquarters in Cottonpet, which was sealed on Friday. DH PHOTO/JANARDHAN B K

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) headquarters was sealed for 72 hours on Friday after a man arrested in a cheating case tested positive for COVID-19 the day before.

The suspect was among four people arrested four days ago for cheating cab-riding firm Ola by booking fake trips. He was lodged in the lockup at the CCB headquarters located at Briand Circle in New Tharagupet, West Bengaluru.

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In all, around 20 suspects were lodged in two lockups there when the man’s COVID-19 test report came back positive on Thursday evening, according to a senior police officer.

The CCB top brass decided to quarantine all the eight police officers — an inspector and seven junior officers from the Women Protection Wing and the cybercrime squad — who were involved in arresting the four suspects in the Ola cheating case. Additionally, the authorities also decided to seal the CCB headquarters for three days so that civic workers could fumigate it. Other CCB staff have been asked to report for work at different locations which would be notified to them separately.

The BBMP has started fumigating the CCB headquarters and its surroundings.

Another police station sealed

The Shankarapura police station in southern Bengaluru was sealed for 48 hours on Friday after a sub-inspector tested positive for Covid-19. The policeman had gone to his hometown Athani, Belagavi district, for his wedding but tested positive before that. He has been admitted to KIMS Hospital in Hubballi.