Coronavirus Pune: Girls Hostel at Yerwada Acquired for Temporary Jail

Pune, May 3, 2020: Infectious disease caused by Coronavirus (COVID19) has created a health emergency in the state. A curfew has been issued across the state to control the spread of the virus. Sunil Ramanand, Additional Director General of Police and Inspector General of Prisons and Correctional Services, Maharashtra state, based in Pune, had requested the Pune district administration for temporary jail to keep new accused persons in quarantine there.

“It is necessary to temporarily quarantine the newly admitted inmates of Yerwada Central Jail to prevent the spread of COVID19. For this, the backward class girls’ hostel, in front of Press Colony, near Yerwada jail, has been acquired and declared as a temporary jail. Also, the building is being acquired till further orders for quarantining the newly admitted inmates”, said Pune District Collector Naval Kishor Ram.

He also directed the Commissioner of Police, Pune City to provide 24 hours of police security for the temporary jail premises and. Also, Yerwada jail superintendent has to appoint a jail officer and a clerk/guard for day to day work at the temporary jail.

According to jail officials, since March 388 prisoners have been released from Yerwada Central Jail to decongest it given the growing cases of COVID in Pune and to maintain physical distancing in the premises. The jail had over double inmates than its sanctioned capacity of 2400. If a person is being arrested and remanded to magisterial custody remand (MCR), then the accused is kept in the jail instead of police lock-up. Therefore, the need arose for a temporary jail to keep new inmates in quarantine.