40 inmates return to jail after 8 months, test -ve

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 16

As many as 40 prisoners reported at the Model Jail premises and were tested using the rapid antigen test during the process of readmission of prisoners who had been released on special parole and special interim bail due to the Covid pandemic eight months ago.

All prisoners tested negative and have been shifted into the special barracks set up on the jail premises. The next batch of prisoners will return on November 22. Undertrial prisoners will return to the prison from December 12. The prison authorities, the Department of Health and the District Legal Services Authority, UT, had made the necessary arrangements. A health team was present and the rapid antigen test of prisoners returning from special parole was done outside the jail at Gate No. 1.

Only those prisoners were readmitted to the jail whose rapid antigen test for Covid-19 came negative. Officials said special barracks had been set up for a 10-day quarantine of prisoners.

The total number of prisoners released on special parole was 202 (193 male and nine female) and those on special interim bail was 47 (46 male and one female). The jail authorities said the total number of prisoners was 1,028 (980 male and 48 female). The total sanctioned strength/capacity of Model Jail, Chandigarh, was 1,120 prisoners (1,000 male and 120 female). The total number of prisoners as on November 5 was 779 (741 male and 38 female).