E-Paper
Naini jail inmates thrilled to receive kin once again
Naini jail inmates’ relatives and friends made a beeline for prison after the lifting of Covid-19-induced restrictions
Eager to meet their kin in Naini Central jail after several months, relatives of inmates queued up at the prison to know their well-being, under the watchful eyes of jail officials. Visitors failing to produce a negative RT-PCR report not older than 72 hours, and vaccination records, were turned away.
Jitendra Kumar of Pratapgarh is an under-trial and lodged at Naini Central Jail for a year now. Jitendra’s mother rushed to meet her son after restrictions on visitors were lifted two days back.
Harimohan of the trans-Ganga area is also in jail for over two years. Harimohan has not seen his wife and son for over a year as they failed to come to jail when restrictions were lifted earlier. However, with a ban on visitors lifted now, Harimohan’s kin came to meet him.
Prisoners and their kin are sharing joys and sorrows during their brief meetings. Prisoners living under certain restrictions due to the Covid-19 threat are feeling relieved after meeting their kin.
Many prisoners were eager to see their kin as restrictions were imposed on meetings at jail due to rising Covid-19 cases in January. While the kin of jail inmates of Prayagraj met them before January, many belonging to far off districts have not seen their kin for a long time. With restrictions lifted now, kin of prisoners including local and far off places are coming to meet them in large numbers.
Jail Superintendent PN Pandey said 84 visitors on Thursday and 246 on Friday met their kin lodged in the jail. Prisoners and their kin were eager to see their loved ones after restrictions were lifted following a dip in Covid-19 cases in the state.
However, fully vaccinated visitors with an RT-PCR report before 72 hours are being allowed to meet their kin. Extra focus is being laid to ensure that all guidelines are followed while visitors meet the inmates. Many visitors who turned up without an RT-PCR report and full vaccination records were not allowed inside the jail premises.
Restrictions on visitors to jails in the state were imposed on March 24, 2020, with the rise in Covid-19 cases. The ban was lifted on August 16, 2021, but was again imposed on January 1, 2022.
