Kollam Sub Collector Anupam Mishra, who had jumped the mandatory 14-day home quarantine and left for Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh during the nation-wide lockdown, came up with a bizarre explanation after being suspended by the Kerala state government. Mishra was required to stay in home quarantine as he had returned from Singapore last week.
Explaining the lapse from his side to Abdul Nasir, the Kollam Collector, the IAS officer who hails from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, had reportedly stated that he “mistook home quarantine as permission to go back home”. His explanation has, however, not been accepted by the district administration or the state government.
In his inquiry report submitted to the state government, on the violation committed by the Sub-collector, Kollam Collector Abdul Nasir mentioned that “this was a grave lapse from an official who is supposed to become a role model to the public.” On the basis of this inquiry report, the administration has now suspended Kollam Sub Collector Anupam Mishra.
A case had 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 for 14 dats 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.
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.
