Amid coronavirus outbreak, the Maharashtra government has decided to release 11,000 prisoners on 45 days parole to avoid spread of virus in jails.
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Thursday tweeted saying, "I've asked for releasing nearly 11,000 convicts/undertrials imprisoned for offences with prescribed punishment upto 7 yrs or less on emergency parole / furlough to reduce overcrowding in prisons and contain the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak."
"There are some 60 prisons in the state, where this decision will be implemented," said the home minister.
After the coronavirus outbreak, the Supreme Court had asked state governments to work in this direction. The apex court had told the state governments to constitute a high powered committee, which will determine which class of prisoners can be released on parole.
With five more persons testing positive for coronavirus infection in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, the total number of COVID-19 patients in the state went up to 135 on Friday.
On Thursday, eight persons had tested positive in the state, taking the count to 130. As five more persons tested positive for the infection- four in Nagpur city and another one in Gondia district- the number has now climbed to 135.
