DSLSA opposes HC plea for extending emergency parole of aged and ailing prisoners

new delhi: The state legal services authority (DSLSA) on Wednesday opposed in the Delhi High Court a plea seeking extension of emergency parole of prisoners who are above the age of 65 and prone to COVID-19 infection due to some ailments and medical

conditions.

DSLSA member secretary Kanwaljeet Arora told a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh that if the petitioner-lawyer wants that the Supreme Court order putting on hold surrender of prisoners be made applicable to parolees as well, he should approach the apex court.

The high court, however, said it will hear the matter on February 22, the date already fixed and dismissed the early hearing application moved by the petitioner — advocate Amit Sahni.

Sahni, also a social activist, has urged the court to direct that in the interest of inmates and jail administration, the aged prisoners be directed to surrender after all other prisoners.

The plea has said social distancing is not feasible and possible in jails here as they are already overcrowded and the prisons have been extremely affected by the pandemic.

It has sought direction to the authorities that the prisoners, who are COVID-19 infected, should quarantine themselves at their place before surrendering.

It has said Delhi jails have a capacity to retain 10,026 prisoners and presently around 14,000 inmates are already lodged there, excluding around 4,000 of them who were released on interim bail or emergency parole.