Ex-mins Enos, Peter Covid infected in Birsa jail outbreak

Ranchi: Former state ministers Enos Ekka and Raja Peter, serving prison terms in Birsa Munda central jail in different cases, are among the 54 prisoners and jail staff who have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past few days.
Jail inspector general (IG) Birendra Bhushan said, “A total of 40 prisoners and 14 prison staff have been diagnosed with the disease in the central jail till date. Steps are being taken to keep them in isolation so that the infection does not spread to other prisoners.”
Bhushan, who has himself have gone into quarantine after two of his bodyguards tested positive and will soon be tested for the virus, added that the jail administration has written to the district authorities to shift the patients to hospitals with proper security in place.
Meanwhile, the jail administration will review the preventive measures taken at jails after the spurt in coronavirus cases. Curbs have also been put on group activities inside the prison.
After the direction from the Supreme Court, a high-powered committee headed by high court justice Mishra had recommended a series of measures for curbing the spread of Covid in the jails. The recommendation of the committee, which included shifting prisoners from crowded jails, quarantine of new prisoners and social distancing, are being followed in every prison of the state.