Fire services, civil defence & home guard chief dies of COVID-19

Senior IPS officer Mohammed Jawed Akhtar who headed the directorate general of fire services, civil defence and home guard under the home ministry died of COVID-19 on Friday, officials said.

He was 59.

Officials said he was admitted to a private hospital in Delhi following coronavirus infection and breathed his last early morning of Friday.

''We are deeply grieved by the untimely demise of Mohd Jawed Akhtar IPS (UP 1986), DG Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards. He succumbed to #Covid19. May his soul rest in peace,'' the IPS association said in a tweet.

The 1986-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre was appointed as the director general (DG) of fire services, civil defence and home guard in August last year.

He was set to retire from service in July.

The central police organisation that works under the command of the Union home ministry is headquartered in the national capital.

Akhtar, before being appointed to the post, was serving as the Special DG with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) here.

Last month, former DG of border guarding force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) Arun Chaudhary had succumbed to the infection at the age of 66.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)