Thane central prison grossly overcrowded: ADGP tells HC

‘Mass swab tests not done due to lack of quarantine centres’

The Bombay High Court was told on Monday that mass swab testing of asymptomatic prison inmates will not be undertaken until express assurance of quarantine facility is given by the Municipal Commissioner or Collectors, as many of the prisons in the State are overcrowded.

The submission was made as part of a compliance report filed by Sunil Ramanand, Additional Director General, Prisons (ADGP) and Inspector General of Prisons, on the number of COVID-19 cases in prisons.

The report added that Thane central prison is grossly overcrowded, and despite requests to the Thane Collector to open a temporary prison, no action has been taken.

According to the report, As on June 13, 17,695 screenings and 1,681 swab tests had been conducted in 10 central prisons in Maharashtra and the ADGP office. Of these, 269 tested positive, 115 recovered and four have died, the Bombay High Court was told on Monday.

The five page report said 4,466 screenings were conducted at Yerwada jail at Pune, and one inmate had died. In Thane central prison, 4,000 screenings and 11 swab tests were conducted, of which two tested positive and recovered. Four jail staffers also tested positive, and two of them were cured.

In Aurangabad jail, 3,318 screenings were conducted. Of 517 swabs collected, 29 tested positive, 14 were staffers. In Solapur jail, 377 screenings and 62 swab tests were conducted; of which 62 tested positive and two were cured.

Tested after death

In some cases, the infection came to light after the death of the patients. A 53-year-old undertrial from Taloja jail, who was in prison since April 24, was admitted to JJ Hospital on May 9 due to diabetes and died the same day. When his throat swab was tested later, he was found to be positive for COVID-19. The cause of death was certified as pneumonia cellusis.

In Dhule, too, an 23-year-old undertrial, who had been in prison since May 9, was admitted to Bhausaheb Hire Government Medical College and Hospital on May 12 after he exhibited withdrawal symptoms from alcohol and ganja. He died the next day. His throat swab was taken after his death and it tested positive. The cause of death was certified as sepsis with policythemia.

In Taloja jail, an undertrial (33), who was in prison since October 10, 2019, allegedly committed suicide in the prison hospital on May 27. His throat swabs, too, tested positive later.