Team Herald
PANJIM: The Goa Prisons Department has temporarily released 46 inmates from the Central Jail at Colvale in adherence to Supreme Court’s March 23 directive to the States to consider releasing some prisoners to decongest jail and curb the possible spread of COVID-19 among them.
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Out of the total, 15 are convicts of various offenses while 31 are under-trials of whom eight are non-Goans. In addition to these, two convicts who have already completed their sentence period have also been set free.
“We have adhered to the SC directives and released 15 convicts – 12 males and 3 females on 30-day parole whereas the under-trials are released on interim bail. The under trials will have to report to the court and/or authorities concerned as and when summoned,” Inspector General of Prisons Gurudas Pilarnkar said while speaking to Herald.
The Apex Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the matter as the country’s jails are highly overcrowded, thus making social distancing a challenge for the inmates. It ordered decongesting the jail by releasing inmates on parole/furlough/interim bail.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, last week had said that Goa’s jail is not overcrowded. As per latest figures, 558 inmates were lodged in Colvale of whom 48 have been released, currently.
Pilarnkar explained that convicts, sentenced to imprisonment up to 7 years, were eligible for parole. “They have served more than 50 percent of their total sentence period so far,” the IGP added. While among the under-trials released on interim bail, five non-Goan alleged offenders have been placed in shelter home while three others are yet to decide as crossing the borders is disallowed as per lockdown orders. “The non-Goan under trials wanted to go back to their native States but they were not allowed in view of the prevailing situation. Five of them agreed to stay in a shelter home and the remaining three are yet to take a final decision,” he said.
Official sources said if the three non-Goan under-trials do not wish to stay in a shelter home, they will continue to remain behind the bars until the situation normalises and they apply for regular bail.
