Odisha: Jail authority asks police to conduct RT-PCR test of accused before sending to jail

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 31 (ANI): The Prisons authority in Odisha has asked the police to conduct RT-PCR tests of the accused persons before sending them to Jail for judicial custody, to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus among the inmates.
As per the Prison Authority total 96 prisoners have so far been infected by the coronavirus in 10 jails of different districts, Jails under Berhampur Circle have the maximum 54 COVID-19 positive inmates, and 17 staff members of four different jails have also tested positive for this Virus.

Talking to ANI, Director General, Prison Santosh Upadhyay said: "We have requested the police to conduct RT-PCR tests of the Prisoners at district headquarter Hospitals before sending them to jail for judicial custody, and of any prisoner found positive they can be sent to COVID hospital or Berhampur Jail Which is also COVID Care Center."

Upadhyay further stated that "Earlier in April, Police authorities have also asked to forward the accused persons only if they are COVID-19 negative, but there was a problem due to a legal compulsion that police can't keep anyone beyond 24 hrs and results used to come after 2 to 3 days, so police didn't have any other options to forward them, so some of the inmates have found positive."

Collector and District Magistrate (DM) Ganjam, Vijay Amruta Kulange informed that "As a part of State Government's initiative to open COVID Care Centers, District Administration has converted Berhampur jail into a COVID Care Center for inmates and other prisoners to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus and proper isolation to them during the prevailing situation." (ANI)