GUWAHATI : The Assam government will release 376 prisoners in the next few days to decongest jails across the state after 535 inmates tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Thursday.Of the 376 prisoners to be released, 111 are presently lodged in Guwahati Central Jail, he said.The rest of the prisoners are now lodged in the district jails of Nalbari, Dhubri, Karimganj, North Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Diphu and Udalguri, he added.Assam Inspector General of Prisons Dasarath Das told PTI that 535 prisoners in 10 jails across the state have been affected by the pandemic.
The highest number of 435 are from Guwahati.Das said the authorities were releasing prisoners at regular intervals according to the direction of the Supreme Court to.