Mandoli jail to accommodate 250 prisoners from Tihar, Rohini facilities to ensure social distancing in prisons

The high-powered committee formed by the Delhi government for decongesting prisons has resolved that 250 prisoners from the Tihar Jail and the Rohini Prison Complex

The high-powered committee formed by the Delhi government for decongesting prisons has resolved that 250 prisoners from the Tihar Jail and the Rohini Prison Complex will be shifted to the Mandoli Jail so social distancing norms can be followed. It also ordered the grant of emergency parole to inmates suffering from mental illness and serious physical ailments.

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The committee, headed by Delhi high court’s Justice Hima Kohli, was informed by the Director General (prisons) that some inmates can be shifted from the congested Rohini and Tihar facilities to Mandoli as its actual occupancy, as on date, was less than its registered holding capacity.

He also apprised the committee that the total area of Tihar jail, its outlay and particularly the corridors and open spaces in front of individual cells and barracks can accommodate more prisoners than its registered holding capacity. Rohini Jail Complex does not have such open spaces to accommodate more prisoners than its holding capacity, he said.

“Taking into account the jail population of Rohini Jail, Tihar Court Complex and Mandoli Court Complex, as well as their respective areas and outlays, the committee has unanimously resolved that transferring 200 prisoners from Rohini Jail and 50 prisoners from Tihar to Mandoli would sufficiently decongest Rohini and Tihar jails.

“By doing so, the Jail administration would be in a position to implement social distancing among inmates of all the three jail complexes,” the minutes of the meeting read.

The DG (prisons) submitted that 953 convicts have been released on emergency parole even though the orders were issued for the release of 1,109. He also said that while orders have been issued for the release of 1,877 prisoners, 1,777 inmates have so far been released; the remaining have decided to stay back because they hail from other states. Till April 18, 2,962 prisoners, including convicts, remission and under-trial prisoners, had been released.

Kanwal Jeet Arora, member secretary of the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA), informed that advocates empanelled with it and visiting jail premises on a daily basis, had drafted and filed bail applications for the under-trial prisoners as per criteria adopted by the committee.

DG (prisons) informed that there are 11 convicts who have also become eligible for being released after the grant of remission, however, they have not been released due to the non-payment of the fine.

Following this, the committee said, “Being conscious of Covid-19 pandemic…and…‘National Lockdown’ of 40 days, these convicts or their family members may have become incapacitated to deposit the fine.

“It is accordingly resolved…that these 11 convicts who have completed their substantive sentence can be released on furnishing an undertaking…to the effect that they shall deposit the fine within ‘15 days of lifting of Lockdown’ failing which they shall surrender to serve the remainder of the sentence (imposed on them in default of payment of fine),” the committee resolved.

It also said that considering the advisory of the Indian Council of Medical Research prisoners suffering from HIV, cancer, chronic kidney dysfunction (UTPs requiring dialysis), Hepatitis B or C, Asthma and TB are more prone to the risk of the virus, inmates suffering from any of these diseases should be given emergency parole.