Tihar jail releases over 400 prisoners to decongest prisons

Authorities at Delhi’s Tihar Jail on Saturday released over 400 prisoners to decongest prisons amid the coronavirus pandemic. A report by news agency PTI quoting jail officials said, out of the total 419 prisoners, 356 were released on an interim bail for 45 days, while the remaining 63 were released on an eight-week emergency parole. The move after the Delhi govt amended prison rules last week to provide convicts the option of getting special parole and furlough to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infections in crowded prisons. Under the amended rules, prisoners can get 60-day parole in case of unprecedented situations like an epidemic or a natural disaster.