GUWAHATI: In an effort to decongest the Jails of Assam to fight Coronavirus outbreak, 718 under trial prisoners have been released so far from different jails of the state.
Jail authorities have released the inmates on personal bond and handed over to the respective police stations through district administration so that they can reach their homes safely.
Bidyadhar Saikia, deputy inspector general of prisons (head quarter) said that according to an order of the supreme court, a high-level committee under the chairmanship of Gauhati High Court judge S K Singh has been constituted to release the prisoners of the state. The jail authorities have released the prisoners on personal bond according to the directives of the committee.
“Prisoners accused in not so serious crimes have only been released so that they do not create any law and order situation outside the jails,” said Saikia.
On the other hand, jail authorities have taken several other measures to prevent the outbreak of Coronavirus. Saikia told reporters that new prisoners have been kept separately in accordance with the guidelines of World Health Organisation (WHO) to combat Coronavirus. According to him, isolation wards have been made in almost all the prisons of the state.
Currently, there are 31 prisons in Assam which includes 6 central jails, 22 district jails, one special jail, one sub-jail and one open jail. There are more than 8 thousand inmates in these 31 prisons.
On the other hand, 834 inmates have been lodged in 6 detention centres of the state.
