‘It’s safe inside’: Court denies bail to prisoners

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad  6.05.2020

: A local court has denied bail to some prisoners with observation that the prison is a safer place to be than roaming around free in the open during this Covid-19 pandemic, for prisoners are under direct supervision of authorities. Any movement “back and forth” from jail is imprudent.

Mohammed Aziz Shaikh, imprisoned for alleged drug peddling, had urged the court to release him from jail for few days so that ‘his presence in the family will amount to psychological solace to his family’ in the troubled time of pandemic.

Additional sessions judge S D Dave refused him bail but not without a reason that the prisoner is safer in jail. The judge said that the beginning of this century was free from any major international turmoil until Covid-19 gripped the world.

“India is into a lockdown and the human created world is into an impasse. Amidst the standstill of the endless human interaction that envelope the human life, it appears from the application that the applicant presents no extraordinary reason for this court to set him at large on temporary bail with all movements being chilled until the larger human issues resolve,” the court said.

The court further said, “The tenancy of prison will be with a direct supervision of authorities giving a reasonable anticipation for it to be a safer place. Any movement of prisoner back and forth the outside world is imprudent. The difficulties of human life are unending and can find a resolution after the prevailing situation mitigates.”

Besides, the court also took into the consideration the type of offence the prisoner was charged with. Similarly, the same court denied temporary bail to another alleged drug peddlers Abdul Imran Shaikh and Amit Shah, and POCSO accused Shailesh Dholi and Karan Chauhan. They all had put forth Covid-19 pandemic as a ground to go out to help their families.

The applications for temporary bail are heard after the Supreme Court asked the state governments to reduce burden on jails by releasing prisoners in lighter offences during Covid-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown.

Accordingly, a high power committee recommended a category but offences of only falling under the Indian Penal Code, and not for any special laws.

The tenancy of prison will be with direct supervision of the authorities giving a reasonable anticipation for it to be a safer place, the judge ruled