Odisha Police Requested To Conduct RT-PCR Test Of Accused Before Taking Them To Prisons

Bhubaneswar: With the number of COVID-19 cases rising in the jails across the state, the prison authorities have asked the police to conduct RT-PCR test of the accused before sending them to judicial custody.

Though the authorities released a large number of undertrial prisoners (UTPs) on parole and shifted may to other jails, the coronavirus continues to infect. According to sources, 96 inmates of 10 jails were found to be infected by the virus. Besides, 17 staff of four jails have tested COVID-19 positive.

Considering the alarming situation despite several precautionary measures, Director General, Prison, SK Upadhay has made the request. “We have urged the police to conduct RT-PCR tests of the arrested persons before sending them to jails,” a news agency quoted Upadhay as saying.

As many as 17,509 inmates are lodged in 85 prisons of the state, an official said, adding that the first confirmed case was detected in the Puri jail on May 17.