226 Assam jail inmates test HIV-positive in four months, CM orders probe into infection

As many as 226 inmates across 31 jails in Assam have tested positive for HIV over the past four months, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ordering a detailed examination into the circumstances surrounding at least one reported infection among prisoners.

Sarma said the state government has taken the matter seriously and will examine how and under what circumstances the affected person contracted HIV while in jail. He also said the government would ensure that the infected inmate receives appropriate medical care and treatment.

“I have also been informed that one person has been identified as HIV-positive. We have taken the matter seriously, and I believe the Gauhati High Court is also seized of the issue,” the Chief Minister said when asked about reports of HIV-positive cases among inmates and whether additional testing would be conducted in prisons.

The Chief Minister said the circumstances surrounding the reported infection would be examined in detail.

The issue has also come into focus at Sribhumi District Jail, where 11 inmates, including a woman prisoner, have tested positive for HIV. The jail currently houses 445 inmates against an approved capacity of 187, resulting in significant overcrowding.

According to jail authorities, most of the HIV-positive inmates are facing cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Members of the AIDS Control Committee regularly visit the jail to provide medical treatment and counselling to inmates who have tested positive.

Anwesha Khersha, the magistrate in charge of Sribhumi District Jail, said HIV-positive undertrial prisoners are referred to Silchar Medical College for advanced treatment whenever required.