Bihar: Committee to meet today on prisoners’ release on parole

Debashish Karmakar | TNN | Updated: Apr 15, 2020, 06:57 IST

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PATNA: A high-powered committee would meet on Wednesday to discuss the possibilities of releasing prisoners lodged in state jails on parole in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.
The committee comprises Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh of the Patna high court, additional chief secretary (home) Amir Subhani and IG (prisons and correctional services) Mithilesh Mishra. The committee’s recommendation would be placed before state government for taking a final decision.
However, chances of prisoners getting released on parole or bail have become bleak after the Supreme Court made it clear on Monday that its order on the issue was not compulsory for every state to follow. Bihar government had moved the SC seeking modification in its order delivered on March 23 and allowing it not to release prisoners as there were several practical hindrances, including the situation arising after the influx of migrant workers.
On March 23, the apex court had ordered forming of state level high-powered committees to decide on releasing prisoners involved in crime attracting seven years or less imprisonment, on parole or bail, in order to decongest jails for preventing Covid-19 spread.
State government’s additional standing counsel Keshav Mohan, who appeared in the matter before SC, told TOI over phone that now the ball is in the state government’s court whether to release prisoners or not.
When contacted, additional chief secretary (home) said the apex court had upheld the contentions of state government. “The matter would be placed before state government to take a final decision on this issue,” he said.
IG Mishra said the process of decongesting overcrowded prisons is already going on in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. “It had started on April 6. At least 600 prisoners in Beur jail had been earmarked for shifting. Of them, 200 had already been shifted. Similar action is being taken in all those jails where prisoners are more than the capacity,” he said.
Meanwhile, a jail superintendent preferring anonymity said quarantine wards had been created inside prisons to keep those coming fresh under quarantine for at least 14 days. “Only after that period they will be shifted to regular wards,” he added.
Around 9,000 out of 40,000 jail inmates in state fall in the category of getting relief through parole or bail under the conditions of SC order. The state has 32 district jails, 17 sub-jails and one open jail having the sanctioned capacity of around 43,000 inmates.