A 32-year-old woman from Nikol in Ahmedabad allegedly travelled to New Zealand on December 23 with her four-year-old daughter after the child tested positive for Covid-19.
According to police, an FIR has been lodged at Nikol police station against Hiralben Dungrani, a resident of Vishwa Residency in Nikol of Ahmedabad. Police said that Dungrani’s daughter tested positive on December 23 and the duo flew to New Zealand the same night.
According to police, the incident came to light on December 24 morning when health officials of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) reached Dungrani’s residence for inspection.
“After the child tested positive for coronavirus on December 23 morning, AMC asked her mother Hiral to keep her in quarantine for 14 days. However, when we arrived at her residence on December 24 morning, the patient was not found,” said Dr Shefali Patel, medical officer, Nikol Urban Health Centre, East Zone, AMC.
Patel added that “the patient’s maternal grandfather informed us that both Hiral and her daughter flew to New Zealand on December 23 night to join her husband”.
VD Zala, inspector of Nikol police station, said, “We took cognisance of the complaint and lodged an FIR against the mother under IPC sections 270 for malignant act likely to spread infection of a disease, 188 for disobedience to order given by public servant, and Section 3 of the epidemic diseases act for disobeying an order. AMC officials have informed us that they will take up the matter with the authorities in New Zealand.”