New Delhi: At least 3,468 inmates of Tihar prison, who were released on parole or interim bail last year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, have gone missing. Prison authorities have now approached Delhi police to trace them.
The 'missing' inmates were let out on parole last year following the Supreme Court's order which directed thousands of prisoners in overcrowded jails across the country to be released on interim bail or parole in an unprecedented step to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The jail authorities were facing difficulties to the prisoners lodged in jail in accordance with appropriate COVID behaviour and authorities scrambled to stop the pandemic.
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Most of the convicts and undertrial prisoners were suffering from HIV, TB, cancer, kidney failure and they were released on parole for a particular period of time. But now, 3,468 inmates have not surrendered.
The jail authorities apprised police that of those released, 1,184 were convicted inmates let out of Delhi’s three jails, at Tihar, Mandoli, Rohini.
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“They were initially released for eight weeks, which was later extended from time to time. They were finally supposed to surrender on March 6. But out of 1,184, 112 are missing," they added.
Of the 5,556 undertrial prisoners, only around 2,200 have returned. Delhi police have started an investigation to trace the missing inmates of Tihar Jail.
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