Three Elgar Parishad accused test positive for Covid-19 in Taloja jail

Three of the 10 Elgar Parishad accused lodged in Taloja jail tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, prison authorities said

Three of the 10 Elgar Parishad accused lodged in Taloja jail tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, prison authorities said.

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The prison department had conducted tests on all 10 accused booked in connection with Elgar Parishad case and lodged in Taloja jail. The tests were conducted after another accused Hany Babu, who was taken to Sir JJ Hospital for an eye infection, had tested positive for Covid and had to be shifted to GT Hospital in May.

Three accused who have tested positive are Mahesh Raut, Sagar Gorkhe and Ramesh Gaichor.

“We conducted tests on all 10 accused. The three who tested positive are asymptomatic. They were not yet vaccinated as they are below 40 in age. The three are now lodged in the prison hospital and are being treated there,” said Kaustubh Kurlekar, superintendent of Taloja prison.

The remaining seven including Vernon Gonsalves, Dr Anand Teltumbde, Sudhir Dhavale and Arun Ferreira have been vaccinated as they are senior citizens, informed the prison officers.

All the accused were arrested after a case was lodged against them in the aftermath of the violence in Pune allegedly triggered by Elgar Parishad held on December 31, 2017. A total of 16 accused were booked under provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code in the case, for alleged part in a larger conspiracy which led to the violence.