The Delhi High Court extended the interim bail granted to 3,499 undertrial prisoners for a further 30 days (February 20) as recommended by the High-Powered Committee constituted by the order of the Supreme Court in the case of Re: Contagion of Covid-19 Virus in Prisons.
A special division bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Talwant Singh while hearing the suo motu petition through video conferencing noted, “The HPC was of the opinion that, the interim bails so granted to 3,499 UTPs by the respective Chief Metropolitan Magistrates/Metropolitan Magistrates needs to be extended for a further period of 30 days.”
The bench was hearing a suo motu petition considering the extension of interim bails of 3,499 UTPs on the judicial side as in the present scenario, it may not be possible to move individual applications before the concerned Chief Metropolitan Magistrates/Metropolitan Magistrates by the Legal Aid Counsel.
The bench noted Director General (Prisons) Sandeep Goel also made the same request of extending the interim bail granted to 3,499 UTPs considering the present situation of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Delhi Government Standing Counsel Rahul Mehra submitted that they have no objection to the extension of interim bails granted to the 3,499 UTPs by another 30 days from the date of respective expiry of their interim bail period. The bench has further listed the matter for February 18.
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