Punjab Police officer who tested positive for the Coronavirus on April 12 and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital, died on Saturday due to multiple organ failure before the plasma therapy could be administered. taking the fatality from COVID-19 infection in the Ludhiana city to 5.

The 52-year-old Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Anil Kohli was admitted at the SPS hospital, and was soon to undergo plasma therapy, for which permission was granted by the state government on Friday.

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Kohli’s wife,  a Station House Officer (SHO) and his driver, a constable too  had tested positive on Friday.

State Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today announced Rs 50 lakh to next of kin of officials who die in line of duty during the  COVID-19 outbreak.

He tweeted, “Deeply saddened to lose two of my officials to #Covid19. Have decided to pay Rs. 50 lakhs ex-gratia to their next to kin. While I pray such an incident shouldn’t happen, but if it does, State Govt will pay Rs. 50 lakhs to NoK of officials who die in line of duty due to #Covid19.”

CM Singh and Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta expressed their condolences on Twitter.

“Sad to share that we had lost Gurmail Singh Kanungo yesterday & ACP Anil Kohli in Ludhiana to #Covid19 today. In this moment of crisis, losing our Corona Warriors is a big loss for the State. I join their families in this time of grief. Rest assured Punjab will stand by them,” CM Singh tweeted.

Sad to share that we had lost Gurmail Singh Kanungo yesterday & ACP Anil Kohli in Ludhiana to #Covid19 today. In this moment of crisis, losing our Corona Warriors is a big loss for the State. I join their families in this time of grief. Rest assured Punjab will stand by them.

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) April 18, 2020

Punjab Police DGP said, “Our brother officer Anil Kohli, ACP Ludhiana, lost his battle against #COVID-19 today afternoon. Anil served Punjab Police and the people of Punjab for over 30 years. May his soul RIP! Our prayers are with his family, relatives and all those worked with him.”

Our brother officer Anil Kohli, ACP Ludhiana, lost his battle against #COVID-19 today afternoon. Anil served Punjab Police and the people of Punjab for over 30 years.
May his soul RIP!

Our prayers are with his family, relatives and all those worked with him. pic.twitter.com/uxaH0Xxyos

— DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) April 18, 2020

In a first-of-its-kind clinical use of convalescent plasma therapy in the state, doctors on Saturday decided to try to cure him by using plasma of another cured young volunteer patient. Doctors said he died due to multiple organ failure before the plasma therapy could be administered.

The Mohali district administration on Saturday morning sent a fully-recovered coronavirus patient to the hospital to use his plasma for treating ACP Kohli.

“District Administration Mohali is dispatching one young fully recovered/ cured COVID-19 patient to SPS/Apollo Hospital Ludhiana. His plasma may be used to try and cure the other COVID-19 positive patients by plasma therapy,” Punjab’s Special Chief Secretary KBS Sidhu had tweeted.

Punjab has reported over 202 coronavirus positive cases with 13 deaths so far.