Delhi to grant parole to convicts to decongest prisons

A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a complete lockdown of the national capital beginning Monday, the AAP government on Monday (March 23) told the Delhi Court that it has decided to decongest its prisons to check the spread of coronavirus by providing convicts with the options of special parole and furlough.

The Delhi government told a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad that it was going to amend its prison rules to provide the options of special parole and furlough.

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The submission was made by the Delhi government’s additional standing counsel Anuj Aggarwal who said a notification would be issued within a day to amend the prison rules to include the two new provisions.

Taking note of the submission, the bench directed the Delhi government to take steps during the day to implement what it has proposed and disposed of a plea moved by two lawyers seeking decongesting of the prisons in view of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.