Following the Supreme Court directive to decongest prisons in view of threat posed by COVID-19, not just the Madras High Court but also the trial courts in Chennai city have begun granting interim bail to the accused for a period of three weeks on furnishing own bail bonds.
According to the prosecutors, Justices A.D. Jagadish Chandira and P. Rajamanickam of the High Court had taken pains to hear several bail petitions from their residence despite the lockdown and passed individual orders granting interim bail to many accused after considering various factors.
They said, even the Principal Sessions Court in Chennai had followed suit and ordered release of many prisoners on interim bail. The orders were passed on condition that the inmates should appear before the court concerned on April 16 for passing further orders.
Among those who had been granted interim relief included prisoners facing cases pending before Special courts for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the metropolitan magistrate courts in Egmore, Saidapet and George Town in the city.
