2,400 Tihar inmates released on parole during Covid surge are still at large

According to sources, to ease pressure on the Tihar High-Security Prisons due to the rise in Covid-19 cases in 2020-21, a large number of inmates had been freed on parole. Altogether 521 prisoners and 534 jail employees had been diagnosed with Covid at that time. Now, Tihar Jail didn't have any Covid-19 cases

New Delhi: More than 6,000 inmates of Tihar Central Prisons released on parole following a surge in Covid cases in 2020-21. At least 2,400 prisoners are still at large. Hence, the Tihar jail administration has shared a list of absconders with the Delhi police seeking help in rounding them up, said sources.

The Tihar jail administration has shared the list of at least 2,400 prisoners, who are on the run for the past more than one-and-a-half years, to the Delhi police. On the other hand, Delhi police have also announced rewards on their heads (absconders) to those for helping in the arrest of missing Tihar prisoners. Besides, in the second wave of Covid 19 more than 5,000 inmates had been released from the Central Prison, were not asked yet to surrender.

As per the information, to ease pressure on the Tihar High-Security Prisons due to the rise in Covid-19 cases in 2020-21, a large number of inmates had been freed on parole. Altogether 521 prisoners and 534 jail employees had been diagnosed with Covid infections at that time. Now, Tihar Jail didn't have any Covid-19 cases.

In 2020 during the rise in Coronavirus cases, nearly 6,000 inmates from Tihar Central Jail had been released on interim bail as well as emergency parole and prisoners were asked to surrender before the jail by March 2021. Of the 6,000 prisoners released from the jail on interim bail or emergency parole, 2,400 didn't turn up.

In the second wave of Coronavirus in February-March 2021, 5,000 prisoners were released in April-May 2021. They are awaiting the court's order for surrender, said sources.

In all, 10 prisoners of Tihar Central Jail had died of Coronavirus among them was incarcerated Bihar strongman and RJD leader Mohammad Shahabuddin. Underworld Don Chota Rajan had also contracted Covid, but he recovered, according to sources. At present altogether 1,8000 inmates have been lodged in Tihar, Mandoli and Rohini Jails of the high-security prison. No one was suffering from Coronavirus, added the source.