The Delhi District Court on Saturday directed the Jail Superintendent of the Rohini Jail to submit a report concerning a prisoner found COVID-19 positive regarding the treatment being provided to him and whether he is being kept in the isolation ward or has been shifted to another hospital.
ASJ Ms. Neelofer Abida Perveen while hearing an interim bail application through video conferencing noted that High Powered Committee was informed that one inmate at Rohini Jail was found positive of COVID-19 and was shifted to the dedicated hospital, further 19 inmates sharing barrack with the COVID-19 positive inmate were tested and 15 of them and 1 Jail Staff was found to be COVID-19 positive, hence, an isolation ward has been created in each jail. However, all the 15 COVID-19 positive inmates and the jail staff were asymptomatic.
The Interim Bail application has been filed by Himanshu, who is in Judicial Custody since 27th April 2020. However, the counsel appearing for the accused submitted that the accused applicant has tested positive for COVID-19 in Rohini Jail and is undergoing treatment in the jail.
Whereas, the Additional Public Prosecutor submitted before the Court that the accused needs to be quarantined as he has been tested positive of COVID-19 and cannot be released on interim bail. He further added that the accused is the resident of Nabi Karim, Pahar Ganj, Delhi that has been declared hot spot area and a containment zone of COVID-19, hence, it has been sealed by the authorities.
The matter would now be heard on 3rd June, 2020.
Read the order here;
-India Legal Bureau