COVID-19 pandemic: 50 prisoners isolated : 01st apr20 ~ E-Pao! Headlines

You are here: Home »

COVID-19 pandemic: 50 prisoners isolated
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 31 2020: A total of 50 inmates are being isolated at separate quarantine/isolation wings of Sajiwa Jail and Central Jail, Imphal, said P Doungel, Additional Director of Police (Prisons) today.

47 inmates are being kept isolated at Sajiwa jail and 3 are at Central Jail isolation rooms.

Separate wings have been created at the jails with a total capacity of housing 100 inmates (90 at Sajiwa Jail and 10 at Central Jail) .

The inmates are being kept isolated for 14 days from the date of admission to prison, Doungel said during a meeting of the 'High Powered Committee' formed following the direction of the Supreme Court to oversee release of prisoners on bail/parole to avoid overcrowding in jails in the wake of novel coronavirus outbreak.

During the meeting held at the office of the Manipur State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) at Lamphel Court Complex, the committee observed that the jails are not overcrowded and the prisoners will not be released, informed a statement of the MSLSA.

Sajiwa Central Jail has a capacity of housing 845 prisoners while Imphal Central Jail has a capacity of housing 250 prisoners.

At present, 790 prisoners are lodged at Sajiwa Jail and 50 prisoners are lodged at Central Jail.

Hence there is no overcrowding in the jails, Doungel informed the committee.

Prisoners in the jails have been screened for symptoms typical of flu, fever etc and no new prisoner is introduced in the jails without medical screening.

With all new prisoners kept in the isolation wings for 14 days, all precautions are being taken up by the authority, claimed the committee.

In case suspected cases arise, the prisoners concerned shall be taken to Government quarantine facilities and kept under proper security.

The State Home Department shall take up the necessary steps to temporarily designate/notify certain place(s) as "quarantine prisons" .

The Director General of Police shall issue necessary directions to strictly comply with the provisions of CrPC relating to arrest and detention and of availing bail in bailable offences, so as to avoid unnecessary arrests and detention.

Proper medical checkup of the accused persons should be done before producing before Court.

The committee also advised Magistrates/Judges that accused persons should be medically screened for COVID-19 before sending them to judicial custody/jail.

Justice Kh Nobin Singh, Executive Chairman, MSLSA, Dr J Suresh Babu, Chief Secretary (Home), Golmei Gaiphulshillu, Member Secretary, MASLSA, K Radhashyam Singh, Special Secretary (Home), Ojesh Mutum, Additional Member Secretary, MASLSA, K Nirojit, Secretary, Imphal West DLSA; Dr Th Charanjeet Singh, Deputy Secretary (Home), Sorokhaibam Sadananda, Deputy Member Secretary, MASLSA attended the meeting, said the statement.

* This news is as published by respected news daily at Imphal, whose name is duly marked as 'Source'. E-Pao.net is not responsible for it's sanctity & originality.

* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.