Patna: A man walked 80km to reach home after his release from jail in Jharkhand state as transport services remained suspended due to a coronavirus-induced lockdown, and jail authorities did not provide alternative transport.
Parmeshwar Oran, a resident of Latehar district in Jharkhand, was arrested last year in a case relating to recovery of explosives from his possession and indulging in Maoist activities.
He was lodged in Hazaribagh jail, some 80km from his village in Latehar.
When he was released on bail on Sunday the jail authorities refused to provide him a vehicle as most of the bus services remained suspended due to the lockdown. With no money to spare, he began the long walk home.
“I didn’t have a single penny in my pocket to buy any help on the way. Also I didn’t have the contact number of any family member so I could not call for help. I made fervent appeals to the jail authorities to provide me help but they didn’t show any mercy on me,” Oran told the media on Wednesday. Left with no option, he walked for two days to reach home.
Oran said on the way home villagers served him food and water. “But very few people came forward to help fearing coronavirus.”
His lawyer, Sunil Kumar, said Oran was arrested in connection with his alleged involvement in Maoist activities. On July 9 a local court in Jharkhand granted him bail but he was released from jail 10 days later. “The jail administration didn’t show any mercy on his condition,” the lawyer said.
