Kathmandu, April 9

As many as 385 prisoners or inmates, including juvenile delinquents, were released from various prisons across the country amid the fear of novel coronavirus pandemic.

Pradeep Raj Kandel, director general at the Department of Prison Management, said prisoners and juvenile delinquents walked free after they were entitled to remission of remaining jail terms as per the recent order of the Supreme Court’s full court and Section 115 of the The Criminal Offences (Sentencing and Execution) Act-2017.

According to the act, the government can rebate the jail sentence of a person convicted of petty crime and imprisoned for a term not exceeding one year.

With the order of the full court, the authority concerned may free a person from prison or police custody depending on the gravity of criminal offence.

If it does not appear necessary or appropriate to keep detaining a person in the course of investigation, the police or adjudicating authority may, with the consent of the government attorney remand such person on bail or guarantee or on recognisance to appear on appointed days.

DG Kandel said the prisoners and juvenile delinquents were released as ordered by the concerned district courts or judicial bodies in line with the decision of the full court.

“A total of 168 prisoners and 217 junvenile delinquents enjoyed the pardon until April 6. As many as 392 jailbirds had submitted petition for amnesty and we released only persons deemed eligible by the district courts and judicial bodies concerned,” he informed.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on April 10, 2020 of The Himalayan Times.