COVID-19 : Tihar Jail releases 356 prisoners on 45-day interim bail

As many as 356 prisoners were released on 45-day interim bail while 63 have been released on emergency parole of eight weeks, as a preventive measure against the spread of coronavirus, Tihar Jail officials said on Saturday.

The Supreme Court had on March 23 asked all state governments to release undertrial prisoners, who are facing charges attracting less than seven years imprisonment, to reduce overcrowding of jails amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde directed all state governments to constitute a high power committee comprising of Law Secretary and the Chairman of the State Legal Service Authority to determine which class of convicts or undertrials can be released on parole or interim bail.

Earlier, various jail authorities in the country released inmates to ease off the congestion.