Coronavirus: 250 prisoners to be shifted from Tihar and Rohini jails to Mandoli prison

A high-powered committee, headed by a Delhi High Court judge, has decided that 250 prisoners from Rohini and Tihar jails will be temporarily shifted to Mandoli prison to decongest jails in a bid to prevent spread of coronavirus, which has infected 16,116 people and claimed 519 lives so far India.

committee, headed by Justice Hima Kohli, resolved in its April 18 meeting that transportation of 200 prisoners from Rohini Jail and 50 from Tihar Jail shall be done in full compliance of social-distancing rms.

jail administration shall ensure that transportation in excess of half or one-fourth capacity of bus is carried out to ensure that prisoners maintain a considerable distance with each or during se transits, committee, which was constituted in March on orders of Supreme Court, said.

" committee, in view of suggestions made by Director General (Prisons), has resolved that 200 prisoners from Rohini Jail and 50 prisoners from Tihar Jail can be shifted to Mandoli Jail on a temporary basis, that is, till time present circumstances prevailing in country persist, so as to enable jail administration to implement social distancing amongst prisoners," minutes of meeting recorded.

It deliberated and resolved on various means of achieving social distancing, including to quarantine fresh inmates, taking stock of effect of criteria adopted earlier, determining a fresh category of prisoners who can be released on interim bail.

panel was also informed by authorities that in view of its March 28 and April 7 directions, 1,109 orders were issued to release convicts on parole and 953 have been released.

authorities said though orders were issued to release 1,109 convicts on "emergency parole", some of m were t released as y were unwilling and some were residents of Punjab, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

decision of committee was taken at a meeting held via video-conferencing with officials of DG (Prisons), Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) and home department of Delhi government.

meeting was held pursuant to March 23 direction of apex court to every state to set up a high-powered committee to take measures to reduce population of inmates in over-crowded jails of country by determining category of prisoners to be released on parole and interim bail.

committee was informed that 25 convicts were released after granting remission of sentence and 36 more shall be released up to June 30.

DG (Prisons) informed committee chairperson that re are 11 convicts who have become eligible for release after grant of remission but could t be released for n-payment of fine.

panel observed, "Being conscious of fact that COVID-19 pandemic has swept country, forcing central government to declare a "national lockdown" of 40 days, se convicts or ir family members may have become incapacitated to deposit fine so imposed on m, along with substantial sentence."

On suggestion of DG (Prisons), committee resolved that se 11 convicts who have completed ir substantive sentence can be released on furnishing an "undertaking" to satisfaction of jail superintendent to effect that y shall deposit fine amount within 15 days of lifting of lockdown, failing which y shall surrender to serve remainder of ir sentences.

committee also expressed satisfaction over steps and precautions taken by jail authorities to prevent spread of COVID-19 on jail premises.

steps taken by authorities include frequent cleaning and sanitisation of bathing and kitchen areas, maintaining social distance and putting new prisoners under quarantine.

panel ted that on basis of criteria adopted earlier, as on date, about 2,700 inmates or convicts or undertrial prisoners have been released on parole or interim bail.

According to DG (Prisons), after adopting criteria set out earlier for release prisoners, jail population has come down from 17,552 as on March 25 to 14,799 as on April 18.

DG (Prisons) had earlier said that in 16 jails in Delhi, which have a total capacity of 10,026 prisoners, re are 17,440 inmates, of whom 14,355 are undertrials.

chairperson of panel also appreciated and lauded efforts put in towards implementation of resolutions adopted at earlier meetings held by Delhi government, jail administration and DSLSA, which led to desired results of decongestion of Delhi prisons.