TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The Goa State Human Rights Commission has taken suo moto cognizance of the food poisoning case at Aguada Central Jail and Mapusa judicial lock-up which left one prisoner dead and several in a serious condition.
The Commission took cognizance of Herald June 1 news report on the incident for suo moto inquiry proceedings.
Superintendents of Aguada jail and Mapusa lock-up, Inspector General of Prisons, Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Goa Medical College and Asilo Hospital were issued notices on Monday for replies. The notices are returnable by June 21.
“The Commission has gone through the newspaper report which appeared in local newspaper Herald dated June 1, 2013 under the caption Food Poisoning Hits Jailbirds,” reads the notice signed by Chairperson P K Mishra and member Judge (retd) A D Salkar.
Convict Mahadev Gaonkar died last Friday and large numbers of prisoners in both jails were affected by food poisoning. Around 37 prisoners were admitted to GMC and Asilo while 139 inmates were given medical treatment.
Inspector General of Prisons Mihir Vardhan said 19 patients have been discharged while the rest are out of danger and stable. A magisterial inquiry was ordered last week.
To prevent any such outbreak again, the jail authorities, for now are getting cooked food from Sada sub-jail for inmates lodged in Aguada Jail while a prison food contractor has been roped-in to deliver food in Mapusa judicial lock-up.
Food in Sada jail is also cooked by inmates. “Sada sub jail has got a new kitchen. The food cooked there is being delivered to Aguada prison till the kitchen is renovated…” Vardhan told Herald.
