India News | COVID-19: High Powered Committee Meets to Discuss Ways to Decongest Delhi Prisons
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. In view of over 300 inmates testing positive for COVID-19 so far in Delhi jails, a meeting of the high powered committee, under the chairmanship of a Delhi High Court judge, was held on Tuesday to discuss how prisons in the national capital can be decongested like last year, sources said.
New Delhi, May 4 (PTI) In view of over 300 inmates testing positive for COVID-19 so far in Delhi jails, a meeting of the high powered committee, under the chairmanship of a Delhi High Court judge, was held on Tuesday to discuss how prisons in the national capital can be decongested like last year, sources said.
According to the sources, the meeting was chaired by High Court judge Justice Vipin Sanghi and attended by the Principal Secretary Home, Delhi government and Director General (Prisons).
"The committee will look into the prospects of releasing certain categories of prisoners by granting interim bail and emergency parole like it was done last year to ease the congestion in Delhi Prisons in view of the spiralling coronavirus case here," sources told PTI.
The under-trial prisoners can be released on interim bail, while convicts can be release on emergency parole, officials said.
Till April 29, 303 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus since March 2021. Of them, 33 recovered, four died while there are 266 active cases.
A total of 125 prison staff members have tested positive for the virus since March this year. Eight have recovered and 117 are still under treatment.
The first coronavirus infection among inmates was reported in Rohini Jail on May 13, 2020.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)