BENGALURU: Following the Supreme Court direction to decongest prisons to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, the department of prisons and correctional Services has initiated the release of inmates from various prisons in the state.
In the first batch, 99 under-trial prisoners were released from Bengaluru Central Prison in Parappana Agrahara, on Wednesday.At least 383 under-trial convicts across the state, including 180 from Bengaluru’s Central Prison will be released soon.Officials said that another batch of inmates will be released soon after approval by the District Legal Committee (DLC) and once the court grants permission. Not only in Bengaluru, jail birds in other districts were also released in the last two days.
Under-trial inmates, who are first-time offenders and arrested for offences that have jail term of less than seven years, are eligible for release, as per the guidelines framed by a high-level committee. “The procedure followed in releasing under trial inmates is similar to that which is followed by an accused in obtaining bail. A list of eligible inmates was prepared by the department and it was scrutinised by the DLC. After DLC gives its approval, permission will be taken from the court. The inmates released on bail will have to furnish a personal bond specified by the court and they have to appear before the police station concerned periodically. The bail is valid for two months,” an official said.
V Sheshamurthy, the Chief Superintendent of the prison, told The New Indian Express that the release was part of the Supreme Court direction. “On Wednesday, 99 under trails have been released. The DLC is scrutinising another list and more inmates may be released in a few days,” he said.
As part of the process, the department has also speeded up clearing of parole applications by convicts. The prison officials have sent several applications to the police seeking opinion on sending convicts on parole. “Once we receive ‘no-objection’ communication from district police offices, we will released convicts on parole,” an official added.