Interim bail to 3,337 Delhi undertrials extended for 30 days; to surrender from December 2020 onwards: High Powered Committee

The Delhi High-Powered Committee has formed an opinion that the interim bail granted to 3,337 undertrial prisoners pursuant to its criteria needs to be extended for a further period of 30 days..The Committee has nonetheless opined that such prisoners must surrender from December 2020..The High-Powered Committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Delhi High Court Judge and Executive Chairperson of Delhi State Legal Services Authority, Justice Hima Kohli to take measures to decongest jails. .Other members of the Committee are Principal Secretary (Home), Delhi Government; Director General (Prisons), Delhi as well as Member Secretary, Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA)..Earlier this month, a three-Judge Bench of the Delhi High Court had modified its earlier order on extension of interim bail orders on account of COVID-19..[BREAKING] No more extension of interim orders in civil cases; undertrials in heinous cases to surrender: Delhi High Court.The Court had requested that the High Powered Committee to take a decision qua inmates released on the criteria decided by it from time to time. .Accordingly, the issue was taken up by the Committee on its meeting held on October 24. .The Court was informed that the period of interim bail granted to 3,337 undertrial prisoners on the basis of criteria laid down by the Committee was going to expire from November 5 onwards..D.G. (Prisons) further informed that at present, the total population of inmates inside jails was approximately 15,900. .However, in view of the High Court's order refusing to grant any further extension of interim bail, the population of inmates was going to rise significantly and was likely to reach 22,000, it was added. .DG (Prisons) thus contended that the interim bail granted to 3,337 UTPs under Committee criteria be extended for a further period of 30 days..Considering the total prison capacity of 10,000 and the expected increase in population, the Committee opined, .UTPs/convicts who would be surrendering as per orders passed by Full Bench of Hon'ble High Court are required to be kept in Isolation Cells for a period of 14 days from their respective dates of surrender, Members of the Committee, therefore, found the contention raised by D.G. (Prisons) to be reasonable..It ultimately recommended, .Members of the Committee are of the opinion that it would be appropriate to prevent any chaos or inconvenience to the jail authorities, if the UTPs/convicts granted 'interim bail/emergency parole' on the basis of criteria laid down by this Committee are asked to surrender from December, 2020. As by that time the quarantined/Isolation period of UTPs/convicts surrendering as per orders dated 20.10.2020 of Full Bench of Hon'ble High Court, would be over..Members of the Committee are of the opinion that interim bail granted to 3337 UTPs under HPC criteria needs to be extended for a further period of 30 days..While clarifying that there would be no further extension of interim bail, the Committee has stated that all undertrials concerned are at liberty to move their courts for regular bail. .The Committee recommendation shall now be placed on before the High Court for a judicial order. .Read the Minutes of the Meeting: