Convict refuses parole to avoid pandemic, feels ‘safer’ in prison

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A convict who is serving a six-year prison sentence in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India has refused to be released on special parole to avoid the pandemic.

Ashish Kumar will now remain imprisoned inside the Meerut jail until he completes his sentence, according to the jail’s senior superintendent BP Pandey as reported by The Indian Express on May 31.

A total of 43 prisoners were supposed to be released on parole as per government orders, but Kumar was the only one who refused, while the other 42 are now out.

“Besides the 42 convicted prisoners, 326 under trials have also been released from Meerut prison on interim bail to decongest the barracks in view of the pandemic,” Pandey was quoted as saying.

Kumar, a former teacher, was imprisoned in 2015 for driving his wife to commit suicide, according to the report.

Similar to Kumar, 21 other inmates in nine prisons also filed for requests to remain in prison as they all felt “safer and healthier” inside amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aside from avoiding COVID-19, Director General of Jail Administration Anand Kumar said some of the convicts also argued that the 90-day parole would also be added to their punishment term.

“The other overriding reason which they give is that if they go out, they will not get food and other health care facilities, which they get in the jails. The inmates say health check-up is done regularly in the jails. They get food on time, they are safe and healthy in the jails. The inmates say that once they go out of the jail, they will have to struggle to make a livelihood,” the director was quoted as saying.

Due to the current surge in COVID-19 cases in India, the government in May ordered the decongestion of prisons, allowing the release of 2,456 prisoners, the report said. During the start of the pandemic last year, India released 2,256 prisoners.

India recorded 132,788 new COVID-19 cases today, June 2, bringing the country’s total number of cases to 28,307,832, as per Hindustan Times. India also recorded 3,207 new fatalities, bringing the total death toll to 335,102. Ian Biong  /ra

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