Sarthak Kanjilall & John Wilbert
Port Blair, August 24: It seems that the Corona Virus has gone totally out of control and has reached even inside the District Jail raising concerns over safety of nearly 276 other inmates.
As per reports, a 60 year old prisoner today died after complaining about breathlessness. Although, Andaman Sheekha has learned that the patient was diabetic and he was not keeping well but still death of a convict inside District Jail raised many questions about the management as the entire Jail campus is already isolated, by default.
Sources said that the patient who died today didn’t even reach GB Pant Hospital and died inside the Prothrapur Jail itself.
Although it is still not clear whether the deceased was COVID19 positive but when samples of other two dozen of inmates of the Jail were checked nearly 11 inmates were tested positive.
At present out of 276 inmates of District Jail 47 are foreigner convicts while 114 are foreigner under- trials and similarly 65 are Indian Convict and 51 are Indian under-trial.
Out of 11 people who were tested positive inside Jail, 4 are Indian while 7 are foreigner, it is learnt.
All the 11 corona positive inmates have been kept in isolation inside the District Jail it is learnt. Insiders told that a few other inmates inside the jail are also having COVID19 like symptoms.
The sources of infection is still not clear although as per insiders the Deputy Jailer of the Jail was tested positive few weeks back after which the Deputy Jailer and his one aide had isolated themselves.
Meanwhile unconfirmed sources added that a convict had also gone to G B Pant Hospital nearly two weeks back for treatment after getting his case referred by the Doctor of the Jail and after his return he had high fever.
