Gauhati High Court registers PIL regarding vaccination of prisoners in Assam

GUWAHATI: Gauhati High Court has registered a suo moto public interest litigation (PIL) as regards inmates in different jails of Assam not being vaccinated so far and directed the state government to file an affidavit on the process of vaccination of prisoners.

The court registered the PIL on the basis of an application filed by Pratidhwani, an non-government organisation.

Pratidhwani had filed the application after its volunteers visited district and central jails in the state and allegedly found that, barring the inmates of Silchar jail, inmates of no other jail have been vaccinated so far.

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“During recent enquiries of Pratidhwani to different district and central jails, it has come to its knowledge that in spite of the COVID-19 vaccination drive being carried out all over the country in a phased manner and in spite of the fact that the jail authorities and the officials working in different district jails of Assam have been vaccinated, the inmates have not been vaccinated till date,” Pratidhwani alleged in its application.

Asking the court authorities to list the case for hearing three weeks later, it ordered “Mr TC Chutia, learned additional senior government advocate, Assam” to file a reply affidavit by the next date.

More than 2500 COVID-19 positive cases have so far been recorded in different jails in Assam.