249 inmates out on special parole due to Covid to return to Chandigarh jail

Let out on special bail and parole because of the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year, 249 inmates will return to the Model Jail, Burail, in batches of 50 from November 16 onwards.

The decision was taken by a high-powered committee chaired by Justice Jaswant Singh of Punjab and Haryana high court.

Earlier in March, the committee was constituted for decongestion of jails to check the spread of Covid-19 infection. On September 29, the chairman had directed the prison authorities to submit a detailed plan for re-admission of prisoners.

On Saturday, Ombir Singh, IG, prisons, Chandigarh, gave a presentation of the detailed plan prepared by the department of prisons and correctional administration, Chandigarh.

The committee was informed that every inmate will first undergo the Rapid Antigen Test outside the jail and those testing positive will be admitted to GMSH, Sector 16, while the remaining will return to the jail and undergo 10-day quarantine.

Therefore, it was decided that the convicted prisoners will return in batches of around 50 each between November 16 and December 7, while the undertrials will return after December 12.

The inmates will be intimated in advance about their reporting time on the date of surrender.

The jail’s total sanctioned strength is 1,120 prisoners (1,000 males and 120 females). As of November 5, there are 779 inmates, including 741 men and 38 women.

A total of 202 prisoners, including 193 men and nine women, were released on special parole and another 47, including 46 men and one woman, on special interim bail.

With the 249 inmates returning to the jail premises, the total number of prisoners will increase to 1,028 (980 men and 48 women), which is well within the sanctioned capacity of the jail.

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