230 inmates released to decongest jail

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 7

To decongest the Burail Model Jail amid the Covid-19 pandemic, as many as 133 convicts were released on parole and 98 undertrials were released on interim bail till April 30.

In a report submitted to Justice Jaswant Singh, Judge, Punjab and Haryana High Court-cum-Chairman, State Legal Services Authority (SLSA), UT, regarding activities carried out during the lockdown period from March 23 till April 30, the SLSA and the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), stated that they would keep on reaching out to people in future as well.

The report stated that a total of 98 undertrials were released on special interim bail and a total of 133 convicted prisoners were released on parole on furnishing sureties or on consent of earlier sureties.

An effort was made to decongest the Children’s Homes in UT. In Snehalaya, the number was reduced from 113 to 93, in Children Home for Girls, the number was reduced from 174 to 159 and in the Specialised Adoption Agency, the number was reduced from 22 to 8.

Apart from this, a total of 50 cases of women and children were dealt with during the lockdown period.

The report stated that a one-month community awareness programme was carried out through panel lawyers and para legal volunteers through 11 legal aid clinics in the UT. The programme included awareness generation about social distancing, AarogyaSetu app, etc.