NEW DELHI: Twenty days after asking states to constitute high powered committees for release of prisoners/undertrials not facing heinous charges from overcrowded prisons to avoid complications in case of Covid-19 outbreak in jails, the Supreme Court on Monday said it had not directed compulsory release of such inmates. Bihar government's standing counsel Keshav Mohan was instrumental in convincing a bench headed by CJI S A Bobde to issues the clarification. He argued that it was both risky and impractical to release prisoners when jails in the state were not overcrowded and persons coming to their homes in villages from outside faced ostracisation because of fear of Covid-19.Mohan was supported by attorney general K K Venugopal , who informed the court that some prisoners were released by states and UTs, except Bihar, Delhi and Goa. "Release of prisoners would itself result in transmitting Corona virus from prisons or detention centres to locations where released prisoners have to reach," he said.The bench clarified that "we have not directed states/UTs (on March 23) to compulsorily release prisoners. It was for the state/UT to assess the situation and release certain prisoners and determine the category of prisoners fit for release on interim bail or parole."After hearing the AG, the bench said no prisoner suffering from Covid-19 will be released and that those who are found fulfilling condition for release would be transported in strict adherence to social distancing norm. If required the vehicles engaged for such transportation of prisoners would operate at 25% capacity, the bench said.Advocate Shoeb Alam sought release of foreigners kept in detention centres of Assam by relaxing stringent norms - detained one must have been lodged in detention centre for at least three years and should provide sureties of two Indian citizens with a bond of Rs 1 lakh each - fixed by the SC in its May 10, 2019 order.After hearing Alam and senior advocate Salman Khurshid, the bench noted that as many as 803 persons have been identified as foreigners by the tribunals in Assam. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta said it would be hazardous to release these foreigners on interim bail as they would mingle with local population and make later detection difficult.SC said that given the prevailing pandemic caused situation, it would be just and proper to relax the May 10, 2019 norms and release those who have been in detention centre for two years provided they furnished bail bond of Rs 5,000 each of two Indian citizens as sureties.