Chandigarh, May 13
A large number of Punjab police personnel in the border district of Tarn Taran have tested positive for HIV and hepatitis virus.
In a routine medical check-up carried out recently by the government agencies, it was found that the virus had affected as many as 178 police personnel.
Out of the total, 72 have been identified as “critical”. Their treatment is on. The use of drugs among youth has reportedly led to the spread of the virus. The cops believe the syringes used by drug addicts are being recycled.
A substantial number of these drug addicts are carriers of the hepatitis virus. The cops are seeking extra allowances to combat the malady on the grounds that they are “virtually facing death without any fault of theirs”.
In a petition filed before a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, two Punjab police personnel, sub-inspector Sucha Singh and head constable Balbir Singh, have asked the state DGP, the inspector-general of police (Amritsar border range) and other respondents “to provide immediate financial assistance”.
The help has been sought for cops suffering from “dreaded diseases like hepatitis C, B and HIV”.
The petitioners have asserted the treatment is expensive. Quoting an example, they have contended that Rs 3.30 lakh is required for treating Hepatitis C. Elaborating, they have asserted, in their petition placed before the Division Bench of Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, that each injection costs approximately Rs 14,000. In all, as many as 24 injections have to be administered.
The petitioners claimed the higher-ups are already seized of the matter, but so far nothing has come out of it. “A letter was written by the SSP, Tarn Taran, to the DGP regarding the release of advance for treatment of the petitioners and other similarly situated persons”. Action on it is yet to be initiated, they have contended.
Taking a serious view of the matter, the high court now wants to know what the state government is doing about it. The Bench has asked the state counsel to seek instructions in this regard from the DGP and inform the court on it. The matter will now come up for further hearing on May 19.
