Bailing out undertrials

The institutional abuse they suffer must be addressed

The 268th report of the Law Commission has recommended that the government amend the bail provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code to facilitate the early release of undertrials. Those who had completed one-third of the maximum sentence for offences up to seven years should be released, the report said, and those who were awaiting trial for offences punishable with imprisonment of more than seven years should be let out on bail if they had completed half their sentence. These recommendations extend a 2014 Supreme Court order to judicial officers to identify and release undertrial prisoners who have served half their