Jail is safer than bail: Amid pandemic, murder accused denied relief

Bombay High Court refused to grant bail to the accused, saying it could not put him at the risk of contracting coronavirus

Friendly gesture

The growing bonhomie between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) became the talk of the town (Lucknow) after BSP chief Mayawati asked her legislators to cooperate with the Uttar Pradesh government in the collective fight against coronavirus. Following her call, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called Mayawati to express his gratitude. The Dalit leader then advised the central and the state governments to take decisions keeping in mind the hardships of the poor. She suggested the central and the various state governments work hand-in-hand. Mayawati also promised to support all initiatives of the government that seek to benefit people “without any discrimination”.

App-osite decision
 

Amid growing concern that schools and colleges will more or less remain shut till the end of June due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Madhya Pradesh government has launched a mobile app, Top Parent, to help students continue with their courses. Students from class I to XII with Android phones can access study material for subjects including Hindi, English, mathematics, and science. The app, launched by the Department of School Education, has connected more than 250,000 teachers and students. What is most interesting is that the app has a tool to assess the progress of students and prepare report cards to be reviewed by the parents. Launching the app, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan requested students not to step out of their homes and continue their studies using the app.

Jail is safer than bail
 

The Bombay High Court has deemed that life in jail is better than life outside. A resident of suburban Ghatkopar had sought temporary bail, citing the pandemic. The High Court refused to grant bail to the accused, saying it could not put him at the risk of contracting coronavirus. The situation in jail was much better than that in the city, Justice G S Patel observed while hearing a bail plea filed by Jitendra Mishra, a murder accused who is lodged in Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai for the past 18 months. Justice Patel, who heard the plea through video conference, said, “The jail authorities are better equipped than the municipal authorities outside, especially in Worli Naka (central Mumbai).” Worli Koliwada in central Mumbai has emerged as one of the Covid-19 hotspots in the city.