Sakshi Chhabra
The Delhi High Court ordered the Superintendent of Central Jail-6 of Tihar Jail to send a request to obtain vaccination doses for the inmates of the 18-44 age group.
The court also directed the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to supply the requisite vaccination doses within the stipulated period of 15-30 days.
Jawaharlal Nehru University students – Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita filed the petiton before the court.
They are under judicial custody and were arrested in May last year for their connection with the North-East Delhi riots.
Narwal and Kalita are members of the Pinjra Tod (Break the Cage foundation).
The Pinjra Tod was founded in 2015 to make accommodations for women less restrictive.
The order was issued by Justice Pratibha M Singh as the Prison Authority did not receive any vaccination doses for inmates in the 18-44 age group.
Only, 12 inmates were vaccinated in the 45 plus age group.
The others did not have a valid Aadhar Card or a mobile number to put on the COWIN portal for registration.
The court then stated that if an inmate does not have a valid ID the prison ID number can be used as the identification number for the COWIN portal.
The Court further said that in the absence of a mobile number an alternative number can be used.
The Prison Authority further assured the court that all the inmates above 45 years of age will be vaccinated by May 31.
The issue of online mulaqat was also highlighted during the Court proceedings.
The court stated that the inmates should be provided with e-mulaqats for at least half an hour each week. As physical mulaqats are not possible due to the ongoing pandemic.
The infected inmates who are currently under recovery, isolation or in the COVID-19 wards should be permitted daily calling for a maximum of five minutes, considering that they would wish to update their relatives upon their medical conditions.
The Superintendent of Tihar Jail has been informed about the same and ordered to make it operational within the next 2-3 days.
The court listed this matter for further hearing on May 24.