Over 200 prisoners released on bail to check Covid spread fail to come back

Thirty-six prisoners were released on parole and 184 undertrials were granted interim bail for six months in March and April from Haldwani jail.

Over 200 prisoners - some released on parole and others on interim bail to check the spread of Covid-19 - have failed to return to Uttarakhand jail even after they have exhausted their time outside, said jail authorities.

The jail administration has now sent letters to district police for the rearrest of such prisoners. (HT Photo)

Thirty-six prisoners were released on parole and 184 undertrials were granted interim bail for six months in March and April from Haldwani jail.

The jail administration has now sent letters to district police for the rearrest of such prisoners.

Manoj Arya, senior superintendent, Haldwani jail, said, “These prisoners were released on the six months parole due to the Covid-19 pandemic following directions of the Supreme Court in a bid to fight the pandemic. We have sent letters for rearrest of such prisoners to police heads in their respective districts.”

Arya said prisoners who were serving up to seven years’ imprisonment were released from the jail between March 31 and the first week of April in a bid to stop the spread of the pandemic in jail premises. Seventy-eight prisoners were released for six months’ parole, of which 32 such prisoners returned to jail when their parole period ended in October but 36 prisoners are yet to turn up till date, said Arya.

“Likewise, 210 undertrials were granted interim bail by the court for six months from the jail for similar reasons. Out of them, 184 such prisoners have failed to return to jail. Interestingly, 26 of them are lodged in jail after they were arrested for committing crimes like theft or drug peddling during the interim bail period,” said Arya.

“In case of undertrials, decisions of what is to be done against them will be taken by the court since they were granted interim bail from the court,” the officer added.