The decision of the jail authorities to shift all 77 inmates, who tested positive to the isolation centers at Mahul village in Chembur has not gone down well with local residents. As a result, residents of Mahul staged protests outside the buildings where these inmates have been kept in isolation.
Notably, Mahul has been declared "unfit" for human habitation, owing to the poor air quality and pollution.
Commenting on the issue, activist Bilal Khan, who has been at the forefront in the fight of Mahul residents seeking safe homes, said, "How logical it is to shift people suffering from Coronavirus for recovery in a place infamous for respiratory issues?
There are lakhs of empty houses all across Mumbai in PAP buildings, why is the government not shifting the prisoners there?" "Being a prisoner doesn’t mean you ceased to enjoy right to life. HC has upheld the right to life prisoner during the pandemic," Khan added.
