The prison authorities on Friday announced suspension of Mulakat (meeting) of prisoners till further orders in the wake of Covid-19 threat, even as families of Kashmiri prisoners detained outside J&K demanded their shifting to the Valley.
A delegation of families of prisoners detained in outside jails said theyfear for lives of their dear ones.
Many Kashmiri prisoners are lodged in six UP prisons. These includeLucknow, Bareilly and Ambedkar Nagar district prisons and Agra, Prayagraj andVaranasi central jails.
“We are making fervent appeal to the J&K and the central governmentsto shift our kin to Kashmir jails,” the delegation said.
They said the aged parents of the prisoners were traumatized. “Have mercyand shift them here,” the families appealed.
J&K Director General of Police, Prisons, V K Singh said so far therewere no directions from the government for shifting the prisoners.
“I ensure to receive bulletin about the health of inmates lodged in otherstates as well J&K every morning,” he said. “Those who were already havingminor ailments are getting treatment regularly.”
On the other side, the jail authorities in the wake of virus outbreak haveannounced immediate suspension of meeting with the prisoners. “In view of theprevailing situation, it is decided to suspend the interviews to the prisonersby the visitors till further orders. Superintendents shall not give anyinterviews to the prisoners till further orders,” reads Standard OperationProcedure released by DGP Prisons on Friday, a copy of which is in possessionof Greater Kashmir.
It adds Superintendent Jail shall ensure that the prisoners are notassembled/gathered in groups at one place. “Physical production of prisoners incourts should be avoided and instead the video linkage facility should beutilized for the same with the concurrence of the respective courts,” SOP saidadding that for each fresh arrival of prisoner on admission into the prison,”he/she should be screened with ‘Thermal Scanner’ and be kept in quarantine for14 days or as many days as advised by the Medical Officer of the institution”.
“The prisoners should be counseled to frequently washtheir hands with soap/hand-wash before and after meal and before offeringprayer.
“Keep special focus on vulnerable sections/high risk groups like pregnantprisoners, malnourished, prisoners, prisoners suffering from DiabetesHypertension, respiratory diseases and prisoners above 60 year of age and thoseprisoners who have undergone surgical procedures in the recent past. Suchprisoners to be confined separately as far as possible,” it said.