AIZAWL, April 4 - The Mizoram Government has released 338 prisoners to decongest the jails in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. This was done as per the directives issued by the Supreme Court.
Mizoram�s High Power Committee under the chairmanship of Justice Michael Zothankhuma of the Gauhati High Court granted remission to 48 prisoners of the Central Jail here and district jails, who are nearing completion of their prison terms.
The committee also released 290 undertrial prisoners (first-time offenders) on PR bond, taking the total number of freed prisoners to 338. All deputy commissioners and SPs of the districts were instructed to drop the prisoners to their homes.
The Supreme Court on March 23 directed all States and Union Territories to constitute high-level committees to consider releasing prisoners and undertrials on parole or interim bail for offences entailing up to seven-year jail terms to decongest prisons in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Lockdown extension: Mizoram may go for another 14-day lockdown after the 21-day national lockdown ends on April 14. The Mizoram Operational Medical Team on COVID-19 led by MLA Dr Thiamsanga has proposed another 14-day lockdown to prevent spread of COVID-19 in the State.
�A meeting of the team held on Thursday proposed to impose another lockdown for 14 days after April 14. We will submit the proposal to the State Government,� said Dr Thiamsanga.
