E-Paper
Pune district begins release of prisoners to reduce jail over-crowding
The process was initiated as per directions given by a state-level high-powered committee set up in each state based on a Supreme Court order on March 24.
The prisons in Pune district, under the country-wide initiative, have started the process of releasing prison inmates to reduce overcrowding in light of Covid-19 pandemic.
The process was initiated as per directions given by a state-level high-powered committee set up in each state based on a Supreme Court order on March 24.
On Friday, the District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) filed for and received personal bonds for 79 inmates from the district court, according to Chetan Bhagwat, Secretary of DLSA.
“We will be responding to the orders as soon as they arrive,” said UT Pawar, superintendent of Yerawada Central Jail, the biggest prison in Pune. The initiative is expected to benefit 11,000 prisoners all over Maharashtra according to a tweet sent by Anil Deshmukh, Home Minister of Mahrashtra.
“I’ve asked for releasing nearly 11,000 convicts/under trials imprisoned for offences with prescribed punishment up to seven years or less on emergency parole or furlough to reduce overcrowding in prisons and contain the risk of a Covid-19 outbreak,” Deshmukh’s statement read.
“Under trial prisoners who have been booked/charged for such offences for which maximum punishment is seven years or less be favorably considered for released on interim bail on personal bond of such amount as may be determined, for a period of 45 days or till such time that the state government withdraw the notification under the Epidemics Act, 1987, whichever is earlier. The initial period of 45 days shall stand extended periodically in block of 30 days each, till such time the said notification is issued (in the event the said notification is not issued within the first 45 days),” read the directions issued by the high-powered committee.
The 79 hand-written orders for selected prisoners reached the prison premise around 6:30pm when the SP Pawar had left for the day. Therefore, the process is expected to begin in the morning. However, at 7:15pm, two prisoners were released from jail and they were handed a paper that stated that their release was in light of the pandemic.
“As per the court order, these prisoners signed a personal bond and have been released for 45 days on temporary basis. This order is for 45 days and the prisoner is expected to mark his presence at Yerawada police station after 30 days,” reads the direct translation of a part of the letter in Marathi.
The initiative is viewed as a positive step by workers who have been working towards reducing overcrowding in jails.
“Even before the SC took suo moto notice, the Maharashtra prison department was already moving in this direction. The SC order was a legal shot in the arm because it provided legal sanctity to the process. If they only stick to the category mentioned by SC as an example, I feel that it maybe limiting the order. The SC has given wide powers to the high powered committee. I think they have the power to expand beyond the seven year category. I’m hopeful that they will do it in phases. It will also be interesting to see how UTRCs start functioning henceforth,” said Vijay Raghavan of Prayas NGO which has been working with the prison department for years to address issues of overcrowding. He was on a Bombay High Court appointed Dr S Radhakrishnan committee for prison reforms and is a professor at Tata Institute of Social Science.
The DLSA will continue the process for the next few days.
