Stating that several inmates contracted Covid19 in Tihar Jail, the family of jailed and ailing senior Hurriyat leader Shahid Ul Islam on Friday appealed to the government to shift him to Kashmir on health grounds.
In an appeal to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu, the family said Shahid is diabetic and has not been feeling well inside the prison.
The family said that “spread of Covid inside the prison” has made his life even vulnerable to the deadly infection.
In a statement, the family said they have learnt from reliable quarters that one inmate at Tihar has already died of Covid.
“On one hand, given the Covid19 restrictions, we have been unable to visit him for months and on the other he has not been feeling well. He is suffering from a chronic ailment apart from diabetes. It’s a known fact that diabetics are at higher risk of getting infected, so on humanitarian grounds government should to shift him to Kashmir at least,” the family said.
“Given his innocence, he should have been released from prison. But if immediate release is not possible, he may kindly be shifted to Kashmir for the sake of humanity as otherwise given his deteriorating health he may lose his life to Covid19 at Tihar,” the family said, in their appeal.