Panel extends parole of 4K prisoners by 6 more weeks

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 7

Staring at the return of about 4,000 inmates back into Haryana prisons after completing their parole or interim bail, a high-powered committee under Justice Rajiv Sharma of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has enhanced the relief granted to them by six more weeks.

The committee has also ordered for mandatory Covid testing and 14-day quarantine for the prisoners’ before allowing their re-entry. On March 24, the committee had framed the rules for the release of inmates on parole and interim bail to decongest jails. Now as they are set to return, their parole or interim bail has been extended.

“…readmitting around 4,000 prisoners released on parole or interim bail back into the jails at this stage is a huge risk. It is likely to increase the risk of Covid infection to the existing inmates and will defeat the whole objective of releasing them on parole/interim bail,” said the high-powered committee, which also comprised Home Secretary Vijai Vardhan and DGP (Prisons) K Selvaraj.

To tide over the impending crisis, the committee has extended the parole period of the convicts for another six weeks from the date of their first surrender. Initially too, the parole was granted for six weeks.

Similarly, the duration of interim bail for undertrials has also been extended by six weeks from the date of their surrender. Earlier, they were allowed 45-day interim bail extendable to 60 days.

The committee has also made Covid test mandatory for the prison staff returning to jails after availing leave on emergent grounds. “Such prison staff should be allowed to join their regular duties only on the receipt of a negative Covid test report and fitness report from the medical officer of the jail. The Director General of Prisons, Haryana, is hereby requested to take necessary steps in this regard,” said the minutes of meeting of the committee, dated May 5.