COVID-19: Parole of 4,000 inmates of Haryana jails extended by 6 weeks

Bhartesh Singh Thakur
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 (HPC) under Justice Rajiv Sharma of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has not only enhanced the relief granted to them by six weeks but has also ordered for mandatory Covid test and 14-day quarantine for them before allowing their re-entry.

Earlier on March 24, the committee had framed the rules for release of prison inmates on parole and interim bail to decongest jails. Now, as they are set to return, the 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. Readmitting of such a large number of inmates at this point is likely to increase risk of Covid infection to the existing inmates and will defeat the whole objective of releasing inmates on parole/interim bail,” said the high-powered committee, which also comprised Haryana Home Secretary Vijai Vardhan and Haryana 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 prison staff returning to jails after availing leave on emergent grounds.

“Such prison staff shall be allowed to join back his or her regular duties only on the receipt of 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.

Recently, a jail staff member was tested positive in Gurugram.

The committee was formed on the order of the Supreme Court, dated March 23, which passed the order for decongesting prisons in view of Covid pandemic.

Those convicted and undertrials of NDPS case with intermediate or heavy quantity or rape or Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSOA) or snatching or acid attack are not considered for any relief. Foreign nationals are also not considered for any relief. There are 19 jails in Haryana.