The Chhattisgarh High Court on Tuesday extended the time period of temporary bail of all prisoners up to 31st of May 2020.
Acting upon a PIL, the division bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra & Justice Gautam Bhaduri observed that the issue of prisoners released on interim bail pursuant to direction given by the High Power Committee constituted under the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court on 23-3-2020 in Suo Moto Petition No.1/20 “in Re. Contagion of COVID-19 Virus in Prisons” was raised by the Counsel appearing for State Legal Services Authority. He said identified prisoners have been released on interim bail till 30th of April, 2020 only whereas the lockdown period has been extended till 3rd of May, 2020, therefore, the released prisoners will be required to surrender on or before 30th of April, 2020.
The Counsel said that this will defeat the very purpose and object of the order passed by the Supreme Court and the direction by the High Power Committee. He would also submit that similar is the condition with the prisoners who are released on parole.
Learned Advocate General and the learned amicus curiae would highlight the situation which may ensue if the prisoners released on temporary bail or parole enter the jails after 30-4-2020. According to them, these prisoners were outside the jail for last about a month, therefore, if they enter the jails now, they will have to be quarantined so that they do not come into contact with the inmates who are already in jails.
The bench considered the issue and the complications which may arise if the prisoners are again sent to jail and keeping in view the inherent object and purpose of decongesting the jails during this COVID-19 Pandamic situation, and directed that the period of parole and the period of temporary/interim bail of all such prisoners who have been released from the jails pursuant to the direction of the High Power Committee shall remain extended up to 31st of May, 2020.
-India Legal Bureau