Bhopal: Around 12 prisoners who went on parole are still at large and have not returned to their respective jails. The jail administration has written to the police station to arrest them and bring them back to the jails. Around 15 other prisoners out on parole had earlier died during the corona pandemic.
Earlier, on the instructions of the Supreme Court, the state jail administration had taken a decision to release around 4,500 jail inmates on parole because of the increasing number of corona infections around end-March. The jails of the state are overcrowded and it was not possible to maintain social distancing norms in the jails.
These criminals had got parole for around 300 days, which is highest of all times in jail history. The first parole was given for 30 days, which kept on getting extended because of the corona-induced lockdown.
But some of the criminals did not return to their jails after the parole period was over. The jail department sources said that around 12 of the criminals are still missing. The jail administration has filed a complaint to the local police station and the police have launched a manhunt for them. Around 15 prisoners on parole had earlier died due to various illnesses.
Under the parole provisions, prisoners accused of compoundable offences, those accused under sections 436 and 436A, 107,108,109 and 151 of the CrPC and those accused under sections 379,380,381,404,420 of the IPC are eligible for such parole for a specified time period, besides accused who are sick or infirm and require specialised medical treatment.
Undertrial women offenders also got parole. Accused who are first-time offenders between the ages of 19 and 21 years and in custody for offences punishable with 7 years’ imprisonment but have undergone at least one-fourth of the maximum possible sentence also came under the parole provisions.
