A case has been lodged against Kollam Sub Collector Anupam Mishra for jumping home quarantine and leaving for Uttar Pradesh during the nation-wide lockdown. According to the reports, IAS officer Anupam Mishra had come back from Singapore last week and was asked to self-quarantine due to the global spread of Wuhan Coronavirus. However, the young officer left for his hometown Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

Mishra is believed to have returned to Kanpur on March 21, a few days before a three-week countrywide lockdown began to check the spread of Wuhan Coronavirus. The officer was under home quarantine since March 18 after returning from abroad. District Collector B Abdul Nazer had directed the sub-collector to remain under observation at his official residence.

Describing the officer’s behaviour as “a serious lapse on part of an IAS officer” the spokesperson said that the Kerala government is in touch with the UP government.

Read: Uttar Pradesh: Mecca-returned woman tested Covid-19 positive, was part of a group of 37 who had rubbed off quarantine stamps and fled from Mumbai

- Advertisement -

The Kollam administration has put Mishra’s driver, personal security guard and secretary in isolation after his disappearance came to light.

Kerala is one of the worst-affected states due to the Chinese COVID-19 outbreak in the country. The state was already in a lockdown state when on Tuesday evening, the central government announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown beginning midnight.

More than 78,560 persons are under surveillance in the state in the view of suspected exposure to novel Coronavirus. Nineteen more persons in Kerala were tested COVID-19 positive in Kerala on Thursday alone taking the total number of Chinese virus active patients now to 126 in the state. Among the total of 137 infected persons in the state so far, 11 have been found negative.