Death toll due to COVID-19 in rises to 239; cases climb to 7,447
New Delhi: The death toll due to the novel coronavirus rose to 239 and the number of cases to 7,447 in the country on Saturday, according to the Union Health Ministry
While the number of active COVID-19 cases is 6,565, as many as 642 people were cured and discharged and one had migrated, it said
As many as 33 new deaths have been reported since Friday evening, the ministry said
Seventeen deaths were reported from Madhya Pradesh, 13 from Maharashtra, two from Gujarat and one from Assam, it said
Maharashtra has reported the most coronavirus deaths at 110, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 33, Gujarat at 19 and Delhi at 13.
Punjab registered 11 deaths while Tamil Nadu has reported eight fatalities and Telengana seven
Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have reported six deaths each while West Bengal has registered five deaths each
Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh have reported four deaths each while Haryana and Rajasthan have recorded three deaths each
Two deaths have been reported from Kerala. Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Assam reported one fatality each, according to the health ministry data
The 7,447 figure includes 71 foreign nationals
The death toll on Friday evening was 206
However, a PTI tally of numbers reported by various states as on 9.30 pm on Friday showed a total of 7,510 people having been affected by the virus nationwide with at least 251 deaths
There has been a lag in the Union Health Ministry figures, compared to the number of cases announced by different states, which officials attribute to procedural delays in assigning the cases to individual states
According to the ministry's data updated in the morning, the highest number of confirmed cases in the country are from Maharashtra at 1574, followed by Tamil Nadu at 911 and Delhi at 903
The cases have gone up to 553 in Rajasthan, followed by 473 in Telengana and 435 in Madhya Pradesh and 431 in Uttar Pradesh
Kerala has reported 364 cases and Andhra Pradesh 363. Gujarat has 308 positive patients so far
Novel coronavirus cases have risen to 207 in Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir each and 177 in Haryana
Punjab has 132 positive patients so far while West Bengal has 116 cases.
Bihar has reported 60 cases while Odisha has 48 coronavirus cases
Thirty- five people were infected with the virus in Uttarakhand while Assam has 29 patients, followed by Himachal Pradesh with 28 cases
Chandigarh and Chhattisgarh have 18 cases each while Ladakh has 15. Jharkhand has 14 positive patients so far while 11 cases have been reported from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Goa has reported seven COVID-19 infections, followed by Puducherry at five cases. Manipur has two while Tripura, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh have reported one case each
"State-wise distribution is subject to further verification and reconciliation," the ministry said on its website.
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Bibhav Kumar attacked me with full force again and again: AAP MP Maliwal in FIR
New Delhi (PTI): AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal was "kicked and slapped seven to eight times" allegedly by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar at the former's official residence, and "did not relent" despite her asking him to stop, according to the FIR registered by the Delhi Police.
In the FIR regarding the alleged assault on her, Maliwal also claimed that Kumar hit her with "full force again and again" but no one came to her rescue. She also alleged that despite telling Kumar that she was menstruating and in pain, he did not budge.
The FIR quotes Maliwal as saying that this "is one of the most difficult times of my life" and "the pain, trauma and harassment has been mind-numbing".
"... I am also having difficulty in walking," she said in the FIR, a copy of which is with PTI.
Maliwal, who earlier served as the chief of Delhi Commission For Women, said her situation is "exacerbated by the fact that having worked all my life for women issues and having helped lakhs of women get justice", she "ended up being brutally beaten by a person whom I know for long".
"I am deeply disturbed by this incident and am distraught that someone could display such 'goonda' behaviour," read the FIR.
She has called for the strongest possible action in the matter.
The details of the alleged assault on Maliwal, which took place at Kejriwal's official residence on Monday, emerged on Friday as the Rajya Sabha MP appeared before a magistrate at the Tis Hazari court to record her statement in the case.
The Delhi Police on Thursday registered an FIR in the matter and named Kumar as an accused in the case, officials said.
A purported video of Delhi Chief Minister's residence showing Maliwal arguing with the security staff at the time of the alleged assault, went viral on social media on Friday.
According to the FIR, she had gone to meet Kejriwal at his official residence at 9 am on Monday. Recalling the events, she told police that she went inside the camp office and called Kumar but could not get through. She went towards the residential area and asked the staff to inform Kejriwal about her arrival.
"I was informed that he was present in the house and I was told to wait in the drawing room," she said.
She said while she was waiting for Kejriwal, Kumar barged into the room and started "screaming at me without any provocation and even started abusing me".
"Tu kaise hamari baat nahi manegi? Kaise nahi manegi? S**i teri aukat kya hai ki humko na kar de. Samajhti kya hai khud ko n**h aurat? Tujhe to hum sabak sikhayenge (How will you not follow what we are saying? How will you not follow? How dare you say no to us? What to do you think of yourself **** woman? We will teach you a lesson," read the FIR.
In the FIR, she said that "without any provocation" from her end, Kumar started "slapping" her with his "full force".
"He slapped me seven-eight times at least while I continued screaming. I felt absolutely shocked and was screaming for help over and over again. In order to protect (myself), pushed him away with my legs," she said.
"At that time, he pounced on me, brutally dragged me and deliberately pulled my shirt up. My shirt buttons opened and the shirt came up. I landed on the floor while hitting my head on the centre table. I was constantly screaming for help but no one came," she further said.
She alleged that Kumar "did not relent and attacked me by kicking me in my chest, stomach" and lower part of the body "with his legs".
"I was in extreme pain and kept telling him to stop. My shirt was coming up but he still continued to assault me. I repeatedly told him that I am having my periods and that he should please let go of me as I am in unbearable pain," she said in the FIR.
Following the incident, she said she "was in a terrible state of shock at this unprovoked attack". Recalling the time, she said she was "deeply traumatised" and called the emergency number 112 to inform about the incident.
Bibhav threatened me and said, "Kar le jo tujhe karna hai, tu hamara kuch nahi bigaad sakti, teri haddi pasli tudwa denge aur aise jagah gadenge kisi ko pata bhi nahi chalega. (You can do whatever you want, you cannot harm us. We will break your bones and bury you at a place where no one would even get to know)".
She said that Kumar left the room after learning that she had called the police helpline but returned with the security personnel working at the main gate of the CM's camp offices.
In the FIR, she said they asked her to leave "at the behest of Kumar". She said that she kept telling them that she was "brutally beaten up" and asked them to wait until the PCR van comes.
She said she got into an autorickshaw with the help of the PCR staff.
"I reached there (Civil Lines police station) and sat in the SHO room, where I was crying and informed the SHO about the incident," she said.
"I was in terrible pain and having severe cramps. I also started receiving a lot of calls from media on my mobile. Due to the trauma, pain and not wanting to politicise the incident, I left the police station without filing a written complaint," she said, adding her head was splitting in pain and her arms and legs were "aching terribly due to the assault".
Maliwal said the past days since the incident have been "extremely painful for her".
