Over 5,500 inmates, who were released on interim bail to decongest the Capital’s jails following the outbreak of the pandemic, would now have to surrender back to the jail.
The development came following a decision of the Delhi High Court on Tuesday to end its blanket order extending all interim stays and bails granted during the lockdown as the situation has improved.
A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel, Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Talwant Singh noted that till now the blanket order to extend the interim stay and bail was necessitated because functioning of the courts was curtailed due to complete lockdown declared on March 25.
“But now the situation has changed and all courts at High Court and district level are functioning through physical/ videoconferencing mode,” the Bench said. It also said there is no spread of COVID-19 in the jails as out of about 16,000 prisoners only three are infected currently, who too have been segregated and are admitted in hospital.
Of the total inmates out on interim bail, the first category consist of of 2,318 undertrials involved in heinous crimes. The High Court ordered that there will not be any further extension of interim bails for them.
To avoid any inconvenience being caused to the jail authorities during surrender of a large number, the court ordered them to surrender in a phased manner latest by November 13.
As far as 2,907 prisoners, who have been granted bail on the recommendation of High Power Committee set up on the order of the Supreme Court, are concerned, the court requested the committee to take a decision in respect of these prisoners within ten days.
For 356 prisoners, who were granted interim bail by the court, they will have to surrender before the jail before November 13.
The High Court also clarified that the prisoners are at liberty to move the respective courts for extension of their interim bails, who will take a decision based on the merit of the case.
