Srinagar: At least 110 prisoners, including 58 persons who were detained under stringent Public Safety Act (PSA), have been released during past three weeks to decongest Central Jail here in the wake of COVID19 pandemic.
An official said those released included 58 detenues and 23 under trials. Seven convict were also released on parole, the official said. In addition, 22 under trial prisoners were released on routine bail granted by the competent courts.
An official document shows that implementing the guidelines to contain the spread of coronavirus, the department of prisons, in the first instance issued sanitizers, hand-washes and face masks to all the prisoners lodged in the Jail.
“Besides, medical staff has been deployed at entry/exit points where all staff members as well as newly admitted prisoners are being screened regularly,” it reads.
Srinagar Municipal Corporation has carried out sanitization and fumigation of entire jail premises on several occasions since the COVID19 outbreak, besides District Legal Services Authority conducted awareness programme on coronavirus for jail inmates.
“The department in compliance to the directions of Supreme Court followed by the directions of a high empowered committee, forwarded the list of under trial prisoners of each district to Chairman district level services committee to consider the release of prisoners on interim bail falling under the criteria,” the document reads, adding the entire correspondence was carried out by retainer lawyer Mir Naveed Gull.
As per the official document 58 PSA detenues were released after revocation of their detention order by J&K home department while seven convicted prisoners were released on parole following the orders of DGP prisons.
“Further, parole cases of seven more convicted prisoners are under consideration and will be released shortly on completing all requisite formalities,” it says.
The document shows that 553 prisoners were lodged in the Jail on March 23. “The initiative taken by department reduced the overcrowding to some extent as at present 485 prisoners are lodged in the jail,” it says.
