Delhi HC has issued notice in an application seeking modification in court’s order on extending the interim bail granted to certain prisoners in light of COVID-19 pandemic.
Moved by the Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad, the modification is sought on the ground that certain prisoners convicted of heinous crimes are misusing the order of the court which has automatically extended the interim bail granted to prisoners in light of the pandemic for another 45 days.
The bench has directed the Delhi Government to submit an affidavit stating the total number of inmates in the central prison who are COVID positive. The state also has to inform the court as t how many prisoners have been released so far on interim bail, and how many such prisoners are due to surrender next month.
It was submitted that many accused persons first seek interim bail of one week on ‘humanitarian grounds’ and then never come back to the prison by claiming relief under the extension of COVID bails granted by the Full Bench of the Delhi HC in a suo moto matter.
It was further submitted that the two jails in Mandoli have been notified as isolation wards for incoming persons. These jails have a total of 248 isolation wards. At this point the court asked the state how it will manage to isolate thousands of returning prisoners when it only has 248 isolation wards.
