Gangster dies of Covid as Tihar readies to decongest
Tihar jail officials on Friday said they were preparing a list of nearly 5,000 undertrials who could be released either on interim bail for 90 days or on eight weeks’ parole following a Supreme Court-appointed high powered committee recommending that the prison be decongested in view of the “alarming” and “threatening” situation of the pandemic in the Capital.
Currently, Tihar has nearly 19,679 inmates, almost twice the prison’s sanctioned capacity of 10,026. It is also the country’s most populated prison complex. The jail currently has about 250 active Covid cases and six deaths have been recorded in the ongoing Covid wave. The latest prisoner to die of the infection was Gaurav Jhareda, a 38-year-old alleged gangster whose name featured in the list of Delhi’s most wanted. Jhareda died on Thursday night.
After the high-powered committee’s recommendation, the state government is likely to order emergency parole for 1,000 convicts by Monday or Tuesday. The 4,000 undertrials, being selected based on the criteria set by the HPC, will be released on interim bail after the orders of the respective courts where their cases are being heard.
“Each jail has prepared a list of prisoners. There will be approximately 5,000 prisoners who could be released. We are waiting for the government’s order. It should happen anytime next week,” said a prison officer who asked not to be named.
The first 1,000 convicts who will be released are those who surrendered in February and March after 10-11 months of similar parole, during the first nationwide lockdown in March last year. The undertrials who will be released are those who are currently facing trial in nonheinous cases -- in which punishment is less than 7 years. Other undertrials who have HIV, cancer, kidney dysfunction (requiring dialysis), or Hepatitis B or C, will also be considered
A HIGH POWERED COMMITTEE HAS RECOMMENDED THE RELEASE OF INMATES ON PAROLE TO DECONGEST THE JAIL PREMISES
for release, the officer
There are three prison complexes under Tihar Central prisons -- Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli. Tihar has nine sub jails, Rohini has one sub jail and Mandoli has six small sub jails. The prison is headed by one director general rank officer and assisted by an inspector general. Nearly 14,000 prisoners are lodged in the Tihar complex, while Rohini has around 2,000 and Mandoli has around 3,000 inmates.
The committee has laid down 11 categories of undertrial prisoners -- such as those in civil imprisonment, senior citizens who are facing trial for offences with a maximum punishment of 10 years in jail, those who are suffering other serious illnesses and are facing trial for offences
with punishment ranging from 10 years to life -- who would be eligible for grant of 90 days interim bail on furnishing of a personal bond.
The jail administration wrote to the Delhi government last week to consider releasing prisoners on special parole to decongest the prison.
In February, there was not a single case of Covid-19 among prisoners or jail officials in Tihar. Even until April 6, the jail had only 19 cases of Covid-19. But in the last one month, Tihar has reported over 300 Covid-19 cases among prisoners. Currently there are 249 cases of infection. Activist Umar Khalid, arrested in the Delhi riots case had also tested positive. Chhota Rajan, underworld gangster, too, tested positive last month and is admitted at AIIMS.
While two prisoners died in June-july last year, in the last two weeks at least six prisoners have died of Covid-19.
The last prisoner to die of the infection, Jhareda was allegedly involved in at least 18 criminal cases, including murder, robbery, arms act and extortion, among other heinous crimes.
Jhareda, who was lodged in
sub jail 8/9 tested positive for the virus on April 29. He was undergoing treatment at the Guru Teg Bahadur hospital.
On May 1, former gangster turned politician Mohammed Shahabuddin also died of the disease.
1,406 O2 cylinders provided to patients in home isolation
A total of 1,406 oxygen cylinders have been provided by district magistrates to Covid-19 patients recovering in home isolation, officials said on Friday.
According to the latest health bulletin released by the Delhi government, 50,425 patients are in home isolation. The number of active cases in the city stands at 91,035, while there are 50,785 containment zones.
The government has created a common cylinder pool in each district of Delhi to supply oxygen to Covid-19 patients in home isolation and meet the emergency needs of hospitals.
Patients in home isolation can contact the district magistrate concerned for an empty or filled cylinder, an official said.
The filled cylinders will be provided in lieu of empty ones.