Process to release remand, undertrial prisoners in Telangana begins

The process of temporary release

of under-trial and remand prisoners in Telangana in the wake of coronavirus outbreak, has begun with the identification of eligible inmates by the legal services authorities.

On March 23, the Supreme Court had directed all the states and Union Territories to constitute high-level committees to consider releasing on parole or interim bail prisoners and undertrials for offences entailing up to seven- year jail term to decongest prisons in view of COVID-19.

As per the court directive, the state government had constituted a panel and District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) beganidentifying eligible prisoners to be freed.

Some of them were already let out on bail in various districts while the process to free prisoners on case-to-case basis was underway.

 

"Considering the top court's directive, the panel has issued guidelines to the District Legal Services Authority to examine and assess eligible cases and take necessary steps in granting bails to undertrial and remand prisoners," a senior official of the Telangana Prisonsand Correctional Services told PTI.

The DLSA are actively examining the eligible prisoners list and giving suitable orders, he said and clarified that the jails in Telangana were not overcrowded.

The state-constituted committee has held that there was no urgent need to decongest the jails as the apex court has given the option to states that appropriate steps should be taken for decongestion at overcrowded prisons.

In Telangana, the sanctioned accommodation in all the jails was 7,150 whereas 5,750 inmates were lodged in different prisons, clearly indicating that the facilities across the state were not overcrowded.

The official said the process of temporary release was underway at different districts with the DLSA obtaining the list of eligible inmates and examining their cases.

The legal services authority would take necessary action and prisoners, who are willing to step out (from the jails) will be released.

The official noted that courts are entertaining regular bails filed by the counsels on behalf of the prisoners.

Since the lockdown was announced, nearly 800 prisoners were granted bail and released in Telangana in normal course as their advocates filed bail petitions online and through video conference.

As the number of convicts lodged across the state jails was less, they can file for parole which is granted by the government, the official added.