Ranchi: Incarcerated former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad, who is undergoing treatment for various ailments at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) in Ranchi, is unlikely to be released on parole amid the Covid-19 pandemic. TOI on Wednesday reported that the Jharkhand government was considering whether to release him release him on parole for a few weeks. Sources in the state home, jail and disaster management department said The 72-year-old has not applied for parole yet.
Talking to TOI on Wednesday, IG (Prisons) Shashi Ranjan said no jail inmate in Jharkhand will be granted parole during the lockdown. “No vehicular movement is allowed during the lockdown. Keeping that in mind, no convict will be granted parole as of now,” Ranjan said.
Speculations about Lalu being released on parole surfaced after the Supreme Court on March 24 directed all states and Union Territories to set up high level panels to consider granting parole to convicts who are serving sentences of up to seven years with an aim to decongest jails. Since then, several convicts have been released from various jails across the country to maintain social distancing inside the prisons to stop Covid 19 spread. There are a little over 18,000 inmates across the prisons of Jharkhand currently.
In Jharkhand, the panel led by the high court chief justice Dr Ravi Ranjan met on Tuesday. “There was no specific discussion on any particular VVIP inmate was held. It was decided that convicts, who are seeking bail, can file their bail petitions at their respective courts,” a source said.
Former Bihar deputy CM and Lalu’s son Tejaswi Yadav recently called up chief minister Hemant Soren and expressed concerns over his father’s health. Lalu is admitted in Rims since December 2018. Rims has set up a dedicated isolation ward for Covid-19 patients, where two positive patients are currently under treatment.
Ranjan on Wednesday said Lalu will not be shifted to any other place. “The superintendent of Birsa Munda central jail inspected the paying ward where Lalu is lodged. The jail authorities have reported that the ward is separate from the Covid-19 isolation ward and there is no chance of contamination,” he added.
Talking to TOI on Wednesday, IG (Prisons) Shashi Ranjan said no jail inmate in Jharkhand will be granted parole during the lockdown. “No vehicular movement is allowed during the lockdown. Keeping that in mind, no convict will be granted parole as of now,” Ranjan said.
Speculations about Lalu being released on parole surfaced after the Supreme Court on March 24 directed all states and Union Territories to set up high level panels to consider granting parole to convicts who are serving sentences of up to seven years with an aim to decongest jails. Since then, several convicts have been released from various jails across the country to maintain social distancing inside the prisons to stop Covid 19 spread. There are a little over 18,000 inmates across the prisons of Jharkhand currently.
In Jharkhand, the panel led by the high court chief justice Dr Ravi Ranjan met on Tuesday. “There was no specific discussion on any particular VVIP inmate was held. It was decided that convicts, who are seeking bail, can file their bail petitions at their respective courts,” a source said.
Former Bihar deputy CM and Lalu’s son Tejaswi Yadav recently called up chief minister Hemant Soren and expressed concerns over his father’s health. Lalu is admitted in Rims since December 2018. Rims has set up a dedicated isolation ward for Covid-19 patients, where two positive patients are currently under treatment.
Ranjan on Wednesday said Lalu will not be shifted to any other place. “The superintendent of Birsa Munda central jail inspected the paying ward where Lalu is lodged. The jail authorities have reported that the ward is separate from the Covid-19 isolation ward and there is no chance of contamination,” he added.
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