02 October,2020 12:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Woman health worker checks body temperature of residents of a slum in Kandivli. Pic/Satej Shinde
The Mumbai Police booked a woman for impersonating as BMC volunteer and 'conducting a survey' at a housing society in Lower Parel amid the COVID-19 crisis. An FIR was filed against the woman under Section 170 of the Indian Penal Code.
According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, Ranjana Kadam was booked for impersonating as a BMC worker named Shobha Dhamale and conducting a survey at Lower Parel's God Gift Society. The incident came to light after Girish Mishra (52), a resident of the society, brought the case to the notice of the police.
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On September 27, Kadam visited the society and claimed that she had the society secretary's permission to conduct the survey, which included taking oxygen levels and temperature of residents, a police official said. When Mishra asked the woman to furnish her details, she gave a mobile number belonging to Shobha Dhamale, the BMC appointed social worker.
"Dhamale had called us on August 23 but she never visited our wing in the housing society. My doubt is that Dhamale must have appointed this woman to do the fieldwork that she was supposed to do," Mishra said. In his complaint, Mishra alleged that the police did not file a case for more than three hours and only took cognisance after he approached senior officials.
Confirming that an FIR was filed, senior inspector Pandit Thorat of NM Joshi Marg station said, "We are investigating the case. We have informed the BMC. But the investigation is not complete yet."
Residents of the housing society demanded that police and BMC should investigate as to why Dhamale was not conducting the survey.
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Dr. Mangala Gomare, BMC's executive health officer, said the BMC does not appoint any social workers. "There are corporator-appointed volunteers, ASHA workers or community health volunteers who are doing these surveys for the BMC," Gomare said."
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