E-Paper
4,700 inmates released in Punjab to decongest jails
These include 2,195 convicts released on parole, 2,059 undertrials on interim bail for 6 weeks
The Punjab government has released more than 4,700 inmates for six weeks to decongest jails across the state amid coronavirus crisis.
As per the figures of the jails department, 2,195 convicts have been released on parole till Friday, 48 on special remission, 2059 undertrials on interim bail and 408 undertrials on regular bail, besides 24 others.
There were around 24,000 inmates lodged in 24 jails across the state against an authorised capacity of 23,488.
The department has released around 600 inmates from central jail, Amritsar; 480 from central jail, Faridkot; 450 from central jail, Kapurthala; 377 from central jail, Bathinda; 359 from central jail, Gurdaspur; 350 from central jail, Ludhiana; and 180 from Patiala jail.
On March 26, the Punjab government had announced to release around 6,000 inmates from jails across the state in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.
The Supreme Court of India had constituted a high-powered committee in this regard headed by chairperson, Punjab Legal Services Authority.
Punjab jails minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said, “The reason behind releasing these inmates was to prevent spread of Covid-19 outbreak by decongestion of jails.”
Meanwhile, the state jail department facilitated 3,400 WhatsApp video call ‘mulaqaats’ of inmates since March 26 when the physical meetings of prisoners with their family members were suspended.
