The Uttarakhand High Court issued notice on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed to bring to light the serious conditions prevailing in jails in the State of Uttarakhand, where a large number of prisoners have tested positive for HIV, including women.
The news articles published in daily newspapers suggested to the Court that the spread of HIV has taken place due to use of infected needles by the inmates. The problem here is not only confined to the spread of HIV, but also points to the fact that use of drugs in prisons is also quite common , the Division Bench of Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Alok Kumar Verma observed.
Therefore the Bench directed the Inspector General (Prisons), State of Uttarakhand to personally look into the issue raised by the petitioner, and to take stock of the prevalent situation.
“He shall also take immediate steps to curb the use of drugs in prisons, and also to curb the spread of HIV, amongst the inmates. Those inmates, who have been found positive for HIV should be given medical treatment, and, if it is medically advised, they should also be separated from others, who are not infected”, the Court further directed.
Matter is listed on 28.06.2023 for further hearing.
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