Punjab PoliceTaken down by HIV seek financial aid from govt

May 14, 2008

Taken down by HIV, Tarn Taran cops seek financial aid from govt

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.

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