Nearly 280 prisoners from Uttar Pradesh`s Meerut jail to be released amid COVID-19 surge

All jail inmates aged above 45 and 60 years have been inoculated, Senior Jail Superintendent told informed.

New Delhi: At least 280 prisoners in Uttar Pradesh`s Meerut will be released on either bail or parole in view of the alarming rise in COVID-19 cases in the state.

The Senior Jail Superintendent, District Jail, Meerut, BD Panday told ANI that regular sanitisation is being conducted in the jail premises and claimed that all inmates aged above 45 and 60 years have been inoculated.

"Around 280 jail inmates to be released on bail or parole, in view of COVID. Regular sanitisation conducted in jail premises. The jail inmates are served immunity boosting `kadha`. Inmates above 45 and 60 years of age have been vaccinated." Panday was quoted as saying by the news agency. 

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh BJP Joint general secretary (organisation) Bhavani Singh died of Covid-19 on Wednesday, party leaders informed. He was 54. Singh, a resident of Farrukhabad, was made in charge of Varanasi for the UP panchayat polls.

Uttar Pradesh reported 31,165 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday (May 5), with the highest single-day jump of 357 fatalities that pushed the death toll to 14,151. The active cases reached 2,62,474, while the infection tally climbed to 13,99,294, as per the state Health Ministry data. 

(With inputs from agencies)