ERNAKULAM: Prisoners in Kerala, who have been convicted or are under-trial for offences for which prescribed punishment is up to 7 years, will be given bail until 30 April as per Monday’s order of the state high court, reported the website of Malayala Manorama newspaper.
This has been done to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the state’s congested prisons. The court tasked the respective jail superintendents to select the prisoners, Manorama reported.
Those with heinous or serious offences will not be released, the report said. The detailed order is not yet publicly available.
The decision is in accordance with the Supreme Court's directive to decongest crowded prisons to stop the spread of coronavirus.