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Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Inspector General Prison (Delhi) to ensure that isolation medical wards or quarantine zone are created in all jails for inmates suffering from contagious diseases.
The high court passed this direction while granting interim bail to a man who is suffering from Herpes and facing trial in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case. Justice Asha Menon observed, "it is considered that since Herpes is a contagious disease and irrespective of the fact that the applicant has been granted interim bail on occasions, which admittedly he has not misused, and his regular bail application has also been rejected, the fact that a person suffering from a contagious disease is continued to be allowed to stay in jail with no provision for quarantine is a matter of concern." "The IG Prison (Delhi) is directed to ensure that such isolation medical wards or quarantine zone are created in all jails so that there is no compelling need to release such accused who are facing trial for serious offenses repeatedly on interim bail," justice Menon added. The bench said that since it is the report of the senior medical officer of the jail that in cooler weather, the condition would improve, the application is allowed, granting bail to the applicant for a period of two months from the date of release. The court, while granting interim bail, has imposed conditions that the applicant would not leave the national capital territory (NCT) of Delhi without permission of the trial court. He shall drop a pin location on Google Maps so that his location is available to the investigation officer. While opposing the bail plea Ritesh Kumar Bahri, the additional public prosecutor, submitted that the applicant is taking benefit of repeated interim bail orders and that his regular bail applications have been rejected even up to the Supreme Court. It was further submitted by APP that in keeping with the direction of the Supreme Court the trial is also almost complete, as only three witnesses remain to be examined and the matter is listed on September 20 before the trial court. Advocate Aditya Aggarwal the counsel for the accused/applicant had placed on record the medical report of the applicant. The report reflected that the applicant is in fact suffering from Herpes and lesions and pain and that Herpes is a contagious disease. (ANI)
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