Karnataka High Court asks government to file report on Covid cases in prisons

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court directed the state government to submit details of the number of prisoners who have tested positive for Covid-19 across all the prisons in the State and the measures initiated to prevent the spread of the infection on jail premises. The HC gave 21 days for the government to submit a detailed report.

The HC was hearing a petition filed by Amol Kale, prime accused in Gauri Lankesh murder case. Amol Kale is currently lodged at the central prison in Mysuru. The petitioner appealed to the High Court to segregate Covid-19 positive prisoners as directed by the Supreme Court.

Hearing the petition, the HC has directed the government to inform the court about the facilities available in the prisons for treating Covid-19 positive undertrials and convicted prisoners. It asked whether the facility for isolating prisoners was available. Also, to ensure a proper COVID examination the government to inform the court about the facilities available at all the prisons for treating corona positive undertrials and convicted prisoners.

In Mysuru prison, several inmates were tested positive. This prompted Amol Kale to file a petition. He argued that he was undergoing mental stress and severe agony as he was lodged in a cell next to the isolation section where some inmates awaiting their COVID-19 test results were lodged. He complained that there was no separate place for isolation and one of the cell situated next to other regular cells was used for isolation.

He sought a direction to the authorities to subject all the prisoners at Mysuru prison to COVID-19 tests and to direct the authorities to set up an isolation centre outside the main prison, besides providing immunity-boosting Vitamin C tablets, Ayurvedic medicines, masks, and sanitisers. The petitioner also sought a direction to the government to shift him back to the central prison in Bengaluru.