This archive report was first published on 7 May 2020.
India's massive lockdown, enforced by over 3 million police officers, has become a breeding ground for the coronavirus.
As of Tuesday, the western state of Maharashtra, the hardest-hit region, had reported 15,525 infections, with more than 450 police officers testing positive and four dying due to the virus.
Control rooms are being set up to deal with health issues faced by police in Maharashtra, according to the state's home minister, Anil Deshmukh.
Police have been involved in violent clashes with migrant workers, including a crowd in the neighboring state of Gujarat and hundreds queuing at liquor stores in New Delhi.
Doctors had to re-attach the severed hand of a policeman who was assaulted while enforcing the lockdown in the northern state of Punjab last month.
With the lockdown set to be relaxed to revive the economy, police officers are clamoring for sick leave, fearing they will become infected.
“Patrolling and crowd control in COVID-19-affected areas is becoming more dangerous than fighting criminals,” said Salunkhe, a Mumbai policeman.
At least 155 police officers and some paramilitary personnel have been infected in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat, according to a senior official.
The city of Ahmedabad has ordered all shops, except those providing milk and medicines, to close until May 15, in an effort to curb the spike in infections.
