Pune: Undertrial gets bail as part of COVID-19 decongestion in jails, killed within an hour of release

Pune: In a shocking incident, a 24-year-old undertrial prisoner was hacked to death within an hour of his release from Yerwada jail. The youth, who was facing an attempt to murder case, was released as part of the decongestion of jails due to coronavirus pandemic.

The victim has been identified as Nitin Shivaji Kasabe.

Police suspect past enmity behind Kasabe's murder. This is the second such incident of murder of an undertrial prisoner after release from jail. 

According to a report in Indian Express, after his release on temporary bail from Yerwada Central Prison on Wednesday, Kasabe was attacked with sharp weapons by a group of at least eight persons around Yerwada area in the morning.

"About an hour after his release, Kasabe was attacked by a group of people. The attack proved fatal. We believe the murder was a fallout of past rivalry. Within hours after the murder, eight persons have been detained by police. Further investigation is underway in the case," the report quoted Senior inspector Yunus Shaikh from Yerawada police station.

According to police, the victim was earlier granted bail but was taken into custody again after he failed to comply with the bail conditions to attend the trial. 

Kasabe was in Yerwada Central Jail for over three months before his release on temporary bail on Wednesday night. 

Earlier, Maharashtra government announced to release 17,000 prisoners on temporary bail to prevent any possibility of COVID-19 infections in the prison.

The administration is releasing prisoners on two basis-temporary bails for undertrials and emergency parole for those convicted. 

So far, the state government has released over 8,700 prisoners across Maharashtra.

In another case, a 23-year-old undertrial Munna Ishwar Chavan was found dead on a footpath after his release from Yerwada jail on April 15. A native of Gevari in Beed district, Chavan was released on emergency parole.