Lucknow, In keeping with the directives of the Supreme Court, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to release over 11,000 prisoners lodged in 71 jails in the state, in view of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

The Supreme Court, last week, had directed all states and union territories to constitute high-level committees to consider releasing on parole or interim bail, prisoners and under-trials for offences entailing up to 7-year jail term. This was in order to decongest prisons in the wake of Corona virus pandemic.

A statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government said, "In compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court, a committee was formed by the state government, which held its sitting on March 27 under the chairmanship of Justice Pankaj Kumar Jaiswal. The committee directed that under-trials lodged in 71 jails of the state in crimes, whose maximum punishment is of 7 years, be given 8-week interim bail on a personal bond, and immediately freed from the jail."

The statement further said, "Convicts who have been booked for crime that entails punishment for 7 years or less, are being released on 8-week parole on a personal bond, and will be freed form Sunday onwards."

There are around 8,500 under-trials and 2,500 convicts in the jails of the state.

In Kanpur alone, 303 prisoners, including 70 convicts, will be released on parole or interim bail for eight weeks.