Hyderabad: Amid the Supreme Court's directive to the prisoners who were granted emergency parole by the High Powered Committee during the COVID-19 to surrender within 15 days, data have revealed that over 60,000 prisoners were released on parole during the pandemic with maximum of such parole releases reported by Madhya Pradesh.
As per the official data, during the year 2020, a total of 32,122 persons were released on parole. Of the total paroles, maximum of such parole releases were reported by Madhya Pradesh (6,137) followed by Punjab (3,845) and Maharashtra (3,834). As per the data, a total of 1,342 prisoners released on parole have absconded.
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Maximum of such parole absconders were reported by Uttar Pradesh (802) followed by Gujarat (226) and Punjab (119). A total of 392 such parole absconders were rearrested as per the data. Likewise, during the year 2021, a total of 28,763 persons were released on parole. Maximum of such parole releases were again reported by Madhya Pradesh (5,961) followed by Punjab (2,926) and Haryana (2,915).
As per the data, 860 prisoners released on parole have absconded with maximum of such parole absconders reported by Gujarat (241) followed by Punjab (237) and Uttar Pradesh (144). A total of 523 such parole absconders were re-arrested. Significantly, the Supreme Court on Friday directed all prisoners who were granted emergency parole by the High Powered Committee in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, to surrender within 15 days.
The prisoners were released during the COVID pandemic based on the recommendations of the High Powered Committee. A bench, comprising Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar ordered the undertrial prisoners and convicts released on emergency parole or interim bail based on the recommendations of the High Powered Committee to surrender before the concerned prison authorities within 15 days.
