'Missing' 1,328 COVID-19 deaths added to Maharashtra's toll

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis has levelled serious allegation against the Uddhav Thackeray government while demanding strict action against those responsible for hiding COVID-19 death data. 

Earlier, Fadnavis wrote a letter to Thackeray stating that nearly 950 COVID-19 deaths have not been reported in Mumbai while claiming that 500 of these deaths were not even referred to the death audit committee. 

After which, the state health department added 1,328 ‘missing’ deaths due to COVID-19. Stating that the truth is finally out, Fadnavis on Tuesday pointed out that 862 COVID-19 deaths in Mumbai alone were declared and 466 in other districts. 

“Total 1,328 additional deaths will now be recorded as COVID-19 deaths,” he said while demanding strict action against those responsible for suppressing the figures for last three months. 

“It is my sincere request to the State Government that please don’t ignore this entire episode of criminal negligence in the name of reconciliation of numbers. These figures were suppressed for last 3 months. We demand strict action against all those who are responsible for this (sic),” the former Maharashtra Chief Minister tweeted. 

It is my sincere request to the State Government that please don’t ignore this entire episode of criminal negligence in the name of reconciliation of numbers.

These figures were suppressed for last 3months.
We demand strict action against all those who are responsible for this.

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) June 16, 2020

With the addition of the ‘missing’ deaths, the death toll in Maharashtra has reached 5,537 as of Tuesday. Apart from these, 81 deaths across the state were reported in one day while nearly 55 deaths were reported in Mumbai. 

Earlier, Fadnavis had claimed that 451 deaths have been termed as non-COVID-19 deaths by the death audit committee. However, they are all COVID-19 deaths as per the guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the senior BJP leader questioned the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). 

The number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra has risen up to 1,13,445 while the toll has crossed the 60,000-mark in Mumbai alone with 60,228 COVID-19 cases. Mumbai reported 3,167 fresh cases on Tuesday. 

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