The Jharkhand High Court on Monday expressed serious concern after being informed that a prisoner, lodged in judicial custody, was found to be HIV-positive. The inmate has been in jail since June 2, 2023.
Initially lodged in Dhanbad District Jail, he was shifted to Hazaribag Central Jail on August 10, 2024.
According to case records, the prisoner’s HIV test came positive on January 24, 2024. The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad.
During the hearing, the court termed the incident not only a “medical tragedy” but also a “serious violation of human rights,” holding it as evidence of negligence on the part of the prison administration.
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The bench further flagged overcrowding in prisons, poor healthcare facilities, and failure to conduct regular medical check-ups of inmates as grave issues.
Taking strong note of the matter, the court directed the authorities to present the complete medical reports of all prisoners who were lodged in Dhanbad Jail between June 2, 2023, and August 24, 2024.
In addition, the court ordered the secretaries of the Health, Home, and Jail Departments, along with the superintendents and medical officers of Dhanbad and Hazaribag jails, to remain present at the next hearing.
The case has been scheduled for further hearing on September 25, 2025.
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