Legal Experts Weigh In on the Plight of Undertrial Prisoners and Delayed Releases

Legal experts and the Supreme Court have weighed in on the issue of delayed releases. The Supreme Court advocate R.K. Kapoor highlights that the Supreme Court had ordered the immediate release of not only undertrials but also convicts who had served their full sentences. The court expressed concern regarding prisoners. The Supreme Court stated that undertrials who have spent one-third of the sentence for their alleged crime should be released on bond. The bench instructed jail superintendents to initiate action under Section 479 of the BNS for first-time offenders. Undertrials who have served one-third of their sentence should be released within a month, and a report should be submitted to the relevant state or central government department.