At this Ghaziabad school, students resume classes next to temporary jail

Ghaziabad: At least 250 students of the Shambhu Dayal Inter College in Ghaziabad attended school for the first time in over six months on Monday. However, they were

Ghaziabad: At least 250 students of the Shambhu Dayal Inter College in Ghaziabad attended school for the first time in over six months on Monday. However, they were not the only ones there, as the inter college complex now houses a temporary prison facility as well.

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According to school officials, one block of the campus was taken over by the district administration on June 24 to set up a temporary jail.

“The block houses prisoners even now, although it is expected that they will be shifted in a couple of days. We have spoken to the education department as well as the district administration to get the premises vacated, as students have started coming in for classes and more are expected in coming days,” said principal Devendra Singh.

The school, located near the MMG District Hospital, has at least 2,567 students enrolled from classes 9 to 12.

“As a precautionary measure we have taken up sanitisation as well as deployed all standard operating procedures for prevention against the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Those inmates who had tested positive for the disease were housed here, instead of them being shifted to a regular jail. We are expecting that they are shifted out at the earliest,” he said.

He added that about 13 rooms of the school have been occupied for the makeshift facility, which also has police deployment.

The police, meanwhile, said that suspects who are arrested in different cases are brought to the temporary jail, where they are tested and lodged.

“They are kept at the temporary jail for two-three days and tested. Once they show no symptoms for Covid-19, they are shifted to the Dasna jail. If any of the suspects tests positive, they are shifted to a Covid facility,” said Abhishek Verma, superintendent of police (city).

Social activists said the jail should be shifted out immediately as the environment can have a detrimental effect on students’ minds.

“It is not advisable to operate a temporary jail from the school premises and it should be shifted out immediately. Police presence and incoming of suspects can leave a bad impression in the mind of students and they should not be exposed to such an environment. In fact, the jail should have been shifted out before classes resumed,” said Colonel (retired) TP Tyagi, national president of Rashtriya Sainik Sanstha.

Officials of the education department and the district magistrate visited the school on Monday.

“About 12-13 inmates are still lodged at the interim prison at the school and we expect that the premises will be vacated by Monday evening. The district magistrate inspected the school on Monday and has given necessary directions for it to be shifted out,” said Ravi Dutt, district inspector of schools.

District magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said the pro-tem facility has a few inmates and poses no issues to students.

“However, classes have started and a temporary jail should not be operating from the school premises. Although it is in a different block of the school, I have given directions for it to be shifted. The school premises will be vacated by Monday night or Tuesday,” he said.