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Half of Maharashtra’s inmates to be released, says Deshmukh
Out of the 17,000, around 5,000 will be under-trials; they have been released on a personal bond over the past four weeks
Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, on Tuesday, announced the release of 17,000 out of over 35,000 prisoners in the state. The decision was taken after 185 inmates of Arthur Road jail in Mumbai tested positive for Covid-19. An 82-year-old convict’s death was also reported inside Yerawada jail in Pune after testing positive for Covid-19.
“We have also put eight jails in Maharashtra under lockdown to ensure that no new inmates will come in and neither will jail authorities from outside will go inside. The officials and inmates who are in these eight jails will also remain inside,” said Anil Deshmukh in a video released on Twitter.
Out of the 17,000, around 5,000 will be under-trials; they have been released on a personal bond over the past four weeks.
The under-trials were those who fit three criteria - arrested in cases that invite 7-year jail time upon conviction, residency in Maharashtra, and not named in serious crimes. This process began in March and concluded on May 2 after the release of 5,105 under-trials.
This decision was taken based on suggestions by a high-power committee in March. In March, the Supreme Court had directed states on the formation of state-level committees comprising of chairman of the state legal services authority, the principal secretary of the prison department and the state’s director-general of prisons.
Of the remaining 12,000 inmates, around 3,000 will be those convicted in cases with less than a 7-year jail term. An order to this effect was issued on May 8, 2020, and the process of release began on May 9 in all jails in Maharashtra.
“For convicted prisoners whose maximum punishment is 7 years or less, on their application shall be favourably considered for release on emergency parole by the superintendent of prison for a period of 45 days or till such time that the state government withdraws the notification issued under the epidemics diseases act, 1897, whichever is earlier,” read the order issued by the office of Maharashtra governor.
In three days between May 9 and May 11, a total of 695 convicts were released.
The remaining 9,000 releases will be those of convicts named in cases with more than 7-year of jail term but not serious cases.
The people booked in serious offences including rape, economic offence, bank fraud, under Maharashtra control of organised crime act (MCOCA), under the terrorist and disruptive activities (prevention) act (TADA), under the Maharashtra protection of interest of depositors act (MPID), and unlawful activities prevention act (UAPA) will not be considered for release.
