COVID-19 : Aligarh Jail releases 28 prisoners on parole

Twenty-eight prisoners were released on Sunday from Aligarh Jail on interim bail for 8 weeks as a preventive measure against the spread of novel coronavirus.

Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Mar 30 : Twenty-eight prisoners were released on Sunday from Aligarh Jail on interim bail for 8 weeks as a preventive measure against the spread of novel coronavirus.

Alok Singh, Jail Superintendent said, "28 undertrial prisoners have been released for 8 weeks on interim bail to decrease the number of people in jails at a given time."

The Uttar Pradesh Government had ordered on Saturday to release 11,000 prisoners across 71 jails in the state, serving a prison sentence of fewer than 7 years, on parole for 8 weeks as a preventive measure against the spread of coronavirus.

The Supreme Court had on March 23 asked all state governments to release undertrial prisoners, who are facing charges attracting less than seven years imprisonment, to reduce overcrowding of jails amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

( With inputs from ANI )