The Uttar Pradesh Government ordered the release of around 11,000 convicts and undertrials housed in 72 jails of the State to ease overcrowding and thereby prevent the spread of coronavirus.
A high-level committee headed by senior judge of Allahabad High Court, Justice Pankaj Kumar Jaiswal, and two members, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi and DG (Jails) Anand Kumar made the recommendation to the Government which was approved by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday.
Of the prisoners to be released are 8,500 under- trials and 2,500 convicts.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had ordered all states to consider the release of convicts on parole, whose punishment was not of more than seven years, so that the jails could be saved from overcrowding to prevent the spread of virus among prisoners.
As per officials, undertrials would be given bail for eight weeks on personal bonds while the convicts would be given parole for eight weeks in a similar manner.
