Tihar Jail Authorities released 623 prisoners

The Tihar Jail Authorities have released 623 prisoners who were accused of minor offence and unable to provide personal surety for bail.

New Delhi, June 19 : The Tihar Jail Authorities have released 623 prisoners who were accused of minor offence and unable to provide personal surety for bail.

"We released 623 prisoners, including four women, yesterday as per the direction of the Delhi High Court. They were facing minor offences like breach of peace and many were under preventive arrest," Tihar Jail spokesman Sunil Kumar Gupta said.

The Court directive came in the wake of a three-member committee report pointing out that the recent deaths in the jail was caused due to overcrowding, congestion and lack of proper facilities.

Earlier last week, six prisoners and one warden died in Tihar jail within a week due to dehydration, as an unusual heat wave gripped the capital with the mercury rising above 44 degree Celsius.

On June 13 the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Delhi Government ordered probes into rising death cases in Tihar.

The Delhi High Court had directed the Delhi Government and Tihar jail authorities to file a report within two days and explain how six inmates had died within a week.

ANI