HC asks jails to follow ICMR rules to contain COVID-19 spread

Bombay High Court on Thursday directed Maharashtra prison authorities to follow all guidelines of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to contain spre of COVID-19 in jails across state and to ensure safety of all inmates currently lodged re.

A bench led by Chief Justice Dipankar Datta disposed of a bunch of petitions seeking medical safeguards for jail inmates after state submitted a list of its draft guidelines on ir safety and on implementing rms of state and ICMR on COVID-19 testing,treatment, and or safeguards in prisons across Maharashtra.

bench accepted state government's assurances.

It, however, directed government to conduct immediate test of any inmate who showed symptoms for COVID-19.

bench also directed state to conduct random testing and screening of inmates for coronavirus.

court asked state to uplo on latter's website regular updates on number of inmates who test positive for coronavirus, details of its quarantine centres, COVID care centres and temporary prisons that it has requisitioned for inmates.

It also asked state to decongest jail to ensure social distancing.

court's judgement came on a bunch of Public Interest Litigations filed by Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and or individual petitioners.

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pleas, filed through senior counsel Mihir Desai and some ors, sought that state be directed to ensure safety of all prisoners currently lodged in Arthur Ro Jail, and also prisons across Maharashtra, in wake of news that several inmates and jail staff h tested positive for coronavirus.

Last month, during a previous hearing, state government submitted that it was unable to conduct equate testing and ensure quarantining and social distancing in prisons due to overcrowding.

It h told high court that it me applications for releasing 14,400 inmates currently lodged in various prisons across Maharashtra to free up prison and follow social distancing to check spre of COVID-19.

court n remarked that state's submissions presented a "very sorry state of affairs" in prisons.

Following court's observation, vocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni last week submitted a list of draft guidelines that state proposed to implement for prison inmates.

se included increased testing, updating relatives about health status of prisoners who tested positive for coronavirus, and implementing all ICMR guidelines on quarantine and testing for COVID-19.

guidelines also provide for regular screening of inmates with co-morbidities and those above 60 years of .

Kumbhakoni told court that state h requisitioned 36 schools, hallsand such properties across 27 districts to convert m into temporary jails, makeshift quarantine centers, and COVID-19 care centres.

On Thursday, bench directed state to tify details of se 36 properties on its website and to deploy ditional manpower at se centres to ensure all health safeguards could be implemented. 

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