Prisoners in Jammu appeal for release amid coronavirus outbreak

Prisoners lodged in different jails of the Jammu region have made a representation to the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court for considering their releases on conditional grounds in view of the deadly Coronavirus that have claimed thousands of lives across the globe.

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In a representation made to the Chief Justice through Superintendent of central jail, the detainees, under-trials, and convicts have sought their release on conditional and provisional grounds.

“It is known to all that jails in Jammu and Kashmir lack emergency and medical facilities even in the normal conditions. The medical staff available in the jails is not even competent to control the common flu if it becomes viral. How can such incompetent and insufficient staff be able to prove of any help in such a critical situation?” the representation read.

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They also pleaded that they were concerned about their families as a countrywide lock-down has been announced and the meeting facility has also been discarded recently keeping in view the spread of the deadly virus.

“It can prove very disastrous if an inmate gets exposed to the virus in jail. We have no such options in the jail to maintain social distance as has been advised by the experts to prevent spread of the disease,” it reads.

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With a view to decongest prisons in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous states have started releasing prisoners on parole and conditional bails. Punjab is going to release around 6,000 prisoners from all the jails across the state, while nearly 11,000 convicted and undertrial prisoners would be released from Maharashtra jails to decrease overcrowding and prevent the spread of deadly virus COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Seven more persons tested positive for the novel coronavirus disease in Kashmir on Saturday, taking the total number of COVID-19 patients across Jammu and Kashmir to 20.

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