<p>Sharjeel Imam, a PhD student of Jawaharlal Nehru University, who is facing sedition charge for his "inflammatory speech" regarding Citizenship Amendment Act is among the 434 inmates of Guwahati Central jail, who have tested Covid-19 positive so far.</p>.<p>According to jail authorities, Imam tested positive during sample tests conducted following detection of several positive cases inside the jail but he was asymptomic. "He has been shifted to an isolated ward inside the jail which was prepared recently for the inmates testing Covid-19 positive. He will be shifted to hospital only if he develops any symptom or we see any problem in his health," said an official.</p>.<p>Imam is in judical custody since February when he was arrested and brought to Assam for allegedly making a call that Assam should be cut off from rest of the country to protest the CAA. He was booked under 124A (sedition) and a few other sections of IPC before he was remanded to judicial custody.</p>.<p>There are nearly 1,100 inamtes lodged in Guwahati Central jail at present.</p>.<p>Earlier anti-CAA activist and pesants' rights leader, Akhil Gogoi and two of his associates, Dhaijya Konwar and Bitu Sonowal also tested Covid-19 positive. Their samples were not tested despite demands and complaint of Covid-19 symptoms but were done so after being ordered by a special NIA court in Guwahati. Following this, Assam health department declared Guwahati central jail as a containment zone and started re-test of samples of all inmates.</p>.<p>Ranjan Daimary, a former leader of NDFB, a recently dibanded militant group also tested Covid-19 positive inside the jail.</p>.<p>On Tuesday, Assam Human Rights Commission asked chief secretary to submit a report regarding Covid-19 scenario inside the jail and the steps taken so far, by August 5. The commission issued the directive while taking cognizance of a complaint lodged by leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Debabrat Saikia recently.</p>
<p>Sharjeel Imam, a PhD student of Jawaharlal Nehru University, who is facing sedition charge for his "inflammatory speech" regarding Citizenship Amendment Act is among the 434 inmates of Guwahati Central jail, who have tested Covid-19 positive so far.</p>.<p>According to jail authorities, Imam tested positive during sample tests conducted following detection of several positive cases inside the jail but he was asymptomic. "He has been shifted to an isolated ward inside the jail which was prepared recently for the inmates testing Covid-19 positive. He will be shifted to hospital only if he develops any symptom or we see any problem in his health," said an official.</p>.<p>Imam is in judical custody since February when he was arrested and brought to Assam for allegedly making a call that Assam should be cut off from rest of the country to protest the CAA. He was booked under 124A (sedition) and a few other sections of IPC before he was remanded to judicial custody.</p>.<p>There are nearly 1,100 inamtes lodged in Guwahati Central jail at present.</p>.<p>Earlier anti-CAA activist and pesants' rights leader, Akhil Gogoi and two of his associates, Dhaijya Konwar and Bitu Sonowal also tested Covid-19 positive. Their samples were not tested despite demands and complaint of Covid-19 symptoms but were done so after being ordered by a special NIA court in Guwahati. Following this, Assam health department declared Guwahati central jail as a containment zone and started re-test of samples of all inmates.</p>.<p>Ranjan Daimary, a former leader of NDFB, a recently dibanded militant group also tested Covid-19 positive inside the jail.</p>.<p>On Tuesday, Assam Human Rights Commission asked chief secretary to submit a report regarding Covid-19 scenario inside the jail and the steps taken so far, by August 5. The commission issued the directive while taking cognizance of a complaint lodged by leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Debabrat Saikia recently.</p>
