The Bombay high court has held that a HIV positive person cannot be barred from taking up a job solely on the ground that he/she is suffering from the dreaded disease.

Hearing a petition filed by an HIV positive woman, Justice A P Shah and Justice S C Dharmadhikari directed the New India Insurance Corporation to give her a permanent job with all benefits within four weeks.

The petitioner, a mother of three, is the widow of a class IV employee of the company. She applied for a job in her husband's place as per the rules of the organisation, but was denied placement after she tested HIV positive.

The judges said: "A person suffering from HIV positive virus needs social and economical backing from the society at large and he or she should not be discriminated. It is also necessary to stop the spread of this disease."