<p>In a bid to decongest jails amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Jammu and Kashmir government has revoked Public Safety Act (PSA) detention orders of 36 persons lodged in different jails.</p>.<p>This comes after the Supreme Court directed states and union territories to consider decongesting jails in view of coronavirus threat.</p>.<p>Sources said that the J&K Home Department revoked detention orders of 36 persons lodged in different jails. The detainees whose PSA was revoked are lodged in Central Jail in Srinagar (16), Kot Bhalwal Central Jail in Jammu (16), and one each in district jails of Kupwara, Anantnag, Bhaderwah and sub-jail Hira Nagar.</p>.<p>Under the PSA, the government is empowered to revoke detention orders passed by district magistrates.</p>.<p>Sources revealed that the government has also decided to revoke PSA detention orders of 30-40 prisoners lodged in jails outside Jammu and Kashmir. “To begin with, the government would release 30-40 such detainees,” they said, adding that detention orders are being revoked on recommendations of deputy commissioners, district police chiefs and the J&K Police’s intelligence wing.</p>.<p>Earlier, 51 persons during the past two weeks were released from different jails after their PSA orders were revoked by the Home Department.</p>.<p>A senior official said the process of revoking PSA detention orders of those lodged outside UT jails was impeded due to nationwide lockdown announced by the Centre to control spread of COVID-19.</p>.<p>After the abrogation of Article 370 by the BJP-led Central government on August 5 last year, a few thousand people were detained under different laws in J&K. Of them, 500-600 were held up under the PSA.</p>.<p>Politicians in Kashmir, human rights activists and families of detainees lodged in and outside the UT jails are making pleas to bring back prisoners and many of whom have been detained under preventive detention after the August 5 last year. Families say many of the detainees are either of vulnerable age and some have underlying health conditions.</p>.<p>States like Maharashtra, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh have also released prisoners held for petty crimes on parole or furlough in the wake of the pandemic. Maharashtra released 11,000 such prisoners last month, fearing that COVID-19 would spread among jail inmates.</p>
<p>In a bid to decongest jails amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Jammu and Kashmir government has revoked Public Safety Act (PSA) detention orders of 36 persons lodged in different jails.</p>.<p>This comes after the Supreme Court directed states and union territories to consider decongesting jails in view of coronavirus threat.</p>.<p>Sources said that the J&K Home Department revoked detention orders of 36 persons lodged in different jails. The detainees whose PSA was revoked are lodged in Central Jail in Srinagar (16), Kot Bhalwal Central Jail in Jammu (16), and one each in district jails of Kupwara, Anantnag, Bhaderwah and sub-jail Hira Nagar.</p>.<p>Under the PSA, the government is empowered to revoke detention orders passed by district magistrates.</p>.<p>Sources revealed that the government has also decided to revoke PSA detention orders of 30-40 prisoners lodged in jails outside Jammu and Kashmir. “To begin with, the government would release 30-40 such detainees,” they said, adding that detention orders are being revoked on recommendations of deputy commissioners, district police chiefs and the J&K Police’s intelligence wing.</p>.<p>Earlier, 51 persons during the past two weeks were released from different jails after their PSA orders were revoked by the Home Department.</p>.<p>A senior official said the process of revoking PSA detention orders of those lodged outside UT jails was impeded due to nationwide lockdown announced by the Centre to control spread of COVID-19.</p>.<p>After the abrogation of Article 370 by the BJP-led Central government on August 5 last year, a few thousand people were detained under different laws in J&K. Of them, 500-600 were held up under the PSA.</p>.<p>Politicians in Kashmir, human rights activists and families of detainees lodged in and outside the UT jails are making pleas to bring back prisoners and many of whom have been detained under preventive detention after the August 5 last year. Families say many of the detainees are either of vulnerable age and some have underlying health conditions.</p>.<p>States like Maharashtra, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh have also released prisoners held for petty crimes on parole or furlough in the wake of the pandemic. Maharashtra released 11,000 such prisoners last month, fearing that COVID-19 would spread among jail inmates.</p>
