Mumbai: Cop, who won praise for work at the peak of pandemic, dies

ACP Ramesh Nangre

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ramesh Nangre, who played a vital role in enforcing the COVID-19 lockdown in Dharavi at the peak of the pandemic, died of heart attack on Thursday morning. His last rites were performed at night in Borivli, and were attended by the top brass of the Mumbai police department.

The 55-year-old officer, who was posted at Sakinaka division before his death, was felicitated by the governor as a Corona warrior for his work in Dharavi, which was a hotspot during initial days of the pandemic.

Commended for his work

Nangre was posted at Dharavi police station as the senior inspector, just before COVID-19 hit the city. He was at the forefront, managing the crowd and strictly implementing the lockdown measures in Dharavi. Nangre himself contracted the virus, but resumed work as soon as he recovered. Home Minister Anil Deshmukh as well as NGOs commended his work.

After working both day and night shifts on Wednesday, Nangre returned home on Thursday morning. He remained non-responsive till late and his family rushed him to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. The preliminary post-mortem report stated that he died of a heart attack.

Nangre, a resident of Borivli, had received his COVID-19 vaccine shot two days ago. He is survived by his wife and three children. Nangre was known for his polite nature, and was respected among fellow police officers. His dedication and love for yoga was also well known.

Deshmukh expresses grief

Home minister Deshmukh expressed grief over Nangre's death. "Anguished by the demise of ACP Nangre due to cardiac arrest. He had worked tirelessly to bring COVID-19 cases under control in hotspot areas like Dharavi. Mumbai police have lost a brave and dutiful officer today. Condolences to his family in this time of grief," he tweeted.