COVID-19 Outbreak: Prisoners Accused Of Bailable Offences To Be Released From Odisha Jails

Bhubaneswar: To contain the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the overcrowded jails, the Odisha government has decided to release prisoners accused of bailable offences.

The Home Department has written to the Orissa High Court, mentioning Sections 436 and 436-A of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and the 2017 Supreme Court order to release prisoners, who are accused of bailable offences and have spent almost 50 per cent of total sentence, during a period of crisis.

This is also applicable for undertrial prisoners (UTPs), who have failed to furnish bail bond. “An UTP can be released by producing personal bond before the court,” the Home department stated.

This assumes significance as governments have been stressing social distancing to prevent the spread of the killer virus.