The Bombay high court on Thursday refused to grant bail to a murder accused who sought to be released from Mumbai’s Taloja jail due to the Covid -9 outbreak.
The prisoner claimed that as there were allegedly two cases of inmates being infected with the virus hence sought bail and cited the Supreme Court’s direction to decongest jails.
But the court said that due to the rising cases of Covid-19 infections in the city, the man was safer in the jail as the virus could be better contained there and the jails were well equipped to deal with the same.
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Justice Gautam Patel while hearing the bail application of Jitendra Mishra lodged in Taloja jail was informed by advocate Shailendra Singh and advocate Aashish Shukla that bail was being sought based on the directions of the Supreme Court to decongest jails and not on merit.
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Singh submitted that Mishra had been in Taloja jail for the last 18 months. After a prisoner was released based on the SC directions, Mishra’s family got to know that there were two cases of Covid-19 persons in the jail and hence wanted Mishra to be released on bail for his safety and well-being.
However, chief public prosecutor Deepak Thakeray refuted the claims about the infected persons and said that there was no communication from the jail authorities regarding the same and opposed the application.
{{/usCountry}}However, chief public prosecutor Deepak Thakeray refuted the claims about the infected persons and said that there was no communication from the jail authorities regarding the same and opposed the application.
{{/usCountry}}After hearing the submissions justice Patel observed, “You are not aware of the situation in the city where entire areas have been sealed to contain the spread of the virus.”
While referring to the G-South ward and Worli Naka that had been sealed after cases of coronavirus infected persons surfaced, Patel told Mishra, “You are safer in the jail than in your home in Ghatkopar. The jails are better equipped to contain the spread of the virus and there is no point in coming out on bail and becoming more susceptible to the virus or spreading it in the family.”
Patel, however, said that further hearing could take place before the regular court after the lockdown ends.
Maharashtra recorded 162 new Covid-19 cases since Wednesday night, taking the count in the state to 1297 Thursday morning. Mumbai has reported the majority of the case at 857.