New inmates not being subjected to Covid-19 test at Hindalga

Belagavi: Hindalga Central Prison in Belagavi is a historic place, one that housed, among others Veer Savarkar. Currently, it is home to 1,162 inmates, the safety of whom is being jeopardised owing to a lapse in procedure by the authorities concerned. Although the state government has mandated that all new prisoners be subjected to a Covid-19 test before they are allotted a cell at the jail, the authorities at Hindalga are not testing incoming inmates to the medical examination.
‘Cyanide’ Mohan, Bannanje Raja, ‘Cyanide’ Mallika, Umesh Reddy and Lashkar terrorists are among the notorious inmates currently housed at the prison. Karnataka director general and inspector general of police Praveen Sood has made it clear that that those being sent to custody are tested for the pandemic. But Belagavi deputy commissioner SB Bommanahalli appears to be unheeding of these orders from the state’s top cop.
Interestingly, Hindalga chief superintendent of police (prisons) Krishna Kumar has appealed several times to Belagavi city commissioner and district superintendent of police, pressing on them the need to test new inmates, his requests have fallen on deaf ears thus far.
“We are keeping new prisoners in separately to ensure they are isolated from the others. We are also assisting not accused in crimes such as murder or rape, get bail at the earliest. This will help them, and reduce the chances of inmates at the jail contract the infection,” said a cop at Hindalga. He added that two oxygen cylinders had been purchased and kept at the prison.
Belagavi principal district and sessions judge has also enjoined on Belagavi police to ensure the safety of all prisoners. In Parappana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru, prisoners are being admitted only after medical tests have ruled out Covid-19 infection.
However, Belagavi city police commissioner BS Lokesh Kumar said that all those named in the chargesheet were being tested prior to their appearing before the magistrate. Belagavi DC Bommanahalli, however, contradicted Lokesh’s views, stating that inmates were being tested only if instructed by the magistrate. “We have not received instructions from the government to test all new inmates,” Bommanahalli said.
DGP (prisons) Alok Mohan told TOI that a court order stipulated that those remanded to judicial custody had to compulsorily undergo Covid test. “They will be in quarantine until we get the results. Only if they test negative for the novel coronavirus will they be taken to the prison,” he added.
Krishna Kumar said that he would write to Belagavi DC, seeking directions to the top cops in the district to ensure adherence to the government and court’s order.