SC refuses to pass blanket order on plea seeking release of prisoners above 50

The Supreme court on Tuesday refused to pass any general directions on a plea seeking directions to release prisoners above the age of 50 years as well as those suffering from serious ailments in view of the spread of COVID-19.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde refused to pass any interim order and or directions on hearing the petition filed by lawyer and activist Amit Sahni.

The apex court said that the petition is disposed off with directions to respondents while granting liberty to such old aged/ prisoners suffering from ailments to make representations before the appropriate government and the same would be dealt with by the government appropriately on case to case basis.

CJI said, we don't know what the government thinks about this but we think it should be case by case and added that the court will not pass a blanket order.

You (Sahni) make an individual representation before the government about your case, the Apex Court said.

Sahni had moved the apex court seeking directions to consider cases of prisoners above 50 years of age as well as those prisoners, who are having ailments with high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer or diabetes, for releasing them on "Emergency Parole or Interim Bail" amid the coronavirus fears.

The top court had, last month, directed all the States and Union Territories to set up high power panels to consider releasing convicts serving up to seven years of imprisonment on interim bail or parole to avoid the spread of coronavirus in prison.