COVID-19 outbreak: 2,500 prisoners released from Gujarat jails

Nearly 2,500 prisoners have been released from 28 jails across Gujarat so far since the coronavirus outbreak, a senior official said on Sunday. Prisoners were released on parole, interim bail and furlough to de-congest the overcrowded jails and contain the spread of coronavirus among the inmates, he said.

There were some 14,000 prisoners in various jails of the state, Additional Director General of Police, Prisons, K L N Rao said. "We have released nearly2,500 prisoners as per the Supreme Court's guidelines and recommendations of the high- level committee," he said.

Of these prisoners, nearly 1,000 were released on interim bail, 800 on parole, and 700 on furlough, he said. The Supreme Court in March this year directed all states and Union Territories to constitute high-level committees to consider releasing on parole or interim bail prisoners and undertrials for offences entailing up to seven- year jail term, to decongest prisons in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The top court said overcrowding of prisons is a matter of serious concern, particularly in the present context of COVID-19..

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