Coronavirus: Maharashtra to release 50 per cent prisoners to decongest jails

Mumbai : Coronavirus has spread its wings in Maharashtra and to avoid it among the prisoners, the Maharashtra Government has decided to release around 50% of the prisoners to decongest the jails. A decision to this effect was taken by the high-powered committee constituted by the state.

The state government had formed the committee after the Supreme Court in March called for decongestion of prisons across the country due to the coronavirus outbreak. The state committee comprised of Bombay High Court Justice A A Sayed, Additional Chief Secretary of state Home department Sanjay Chahande and Maharashtra Director General Prisons S N Pandey.

According to the latest information, the prisoners will be either released on temporary bail or parole for certain duration of time.

“This would substantially decongest the prisons and about 50 per cent of prisoners out of the prison population of 35,239 are now expected to be released, the committee said in a statement.

This comes after around 100 inmates inside the Arthur Road Jail in central Mumbai tested positive for COVID-19 recently.

However, the authorities will have to follow a due process before releasing the prisoners.