Accused to undergo 5 medical tests before being sent to judicial remand: DGP
As per the new orders, police personnel will have to take transit remand of the accused to get them tested for HIV, hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases (STD), tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes before they can be sent to judicial custody.
With the director general of police making it mandatory to conduct five tests on accused persons before sending them to judicial remand, the workload on the staff-starved police force has increased manifold.
As per the new orders, police personnel will have to take transit remand of the accused to get them tested for HIV, hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases (STD), tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes before they can be sent to judicial custody. Notably, it is no longer mandatory to screen new prisoners for Covid.
Ludhiana Central Jail superintendent Shivraj Singh Nandgarh said, “The orders have been passed as sometimes prisoners claim that they ‘caught’ a certain disease in jail, while they were healthy and disease free at the time of admission.”
However, cops say that the move has meant that they have to keep the accused in police custody till the time their test reports arrive. “Sometimes the test reports arrive late and we have to apply for extended transit remand as jail officials do not accept inmates without medical reports,” a police officer said.
On the protocol followed by the police, a station house officer, who did not wish to be named, said, “After arresting the accused, we produce them in court to seek remand. Before sending the accused to judicial remand, we get their routine medical examination conducted at the civil hospital. We have to keep them in police custody till their reports arrive.”
“This is an additional burden on the police department, which is already reeling under staff crunch,” he added.
