SC takes suo moto note of delay in releasing prisoners after bail
text_fields
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has taken suo moto cognisance of the delay by jail authorities in releasing convicts after they have been granted bail by superior courts on July 8.
The convicts, who were juveniles at the time of offence have been lodged in Agra Central Jail for periods ranging from around 14 to 22 years in a murder case.
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and A.S. Bopanna, will take up the matter on Friday.
Recently, there was a delay on the part of Uttar Pradesh authorities in releasing 13 prisoners who were granted interim bail by the top court on July 8.
These convicts were granted bail after it was found that they were juveniles at the time of the offence. It was contended that convicts continued to remain incarcerated, though there was a clear-cut finding of them being minor.
On July 13, the advocate representing the convicts had informed the top court that 12 had been released a day ago and one would be released on the date.
According to a senior official, the top court took note of the reports that there was a delay in the release of the convicts from Agra jail after they were granted bail.
On Friday, the top court will also examine the situation in connection with its May 8 order in another suo moto case of 2020, which was taken up to decongest prisons to contain the spread of Covid-19 in prisons.
In May, a bench headed by the Chief Justice had passed a slew of directions to decongest prisons and had ordered the immediate release of prisoners who were granted bail or parole last year.
