Chennai, Aug 13 (IANS): The prisoners in Tamil Nadu jails can now meet their relatives and friends as the order banning physical interviews has been lifted following several requests from the relatives and friends for meeting the inmates physically.

A statement issued by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Prisons and Correctional Service said that the ban has been revoked starting Friday, and the prisons department has decided to resume physical meetings with some restrictions.

The Director General of Police (prisons and correctional services), Sunil Kumar Singh, at a recent meeting with senior prison officials had issued an order underlining strict Covid procedures for personal meetings with jail inmates.

According to the new arrangement, the relatives and friends of the jail inmates need send a request 24 hours in advance through the ePrisons Visitors Management System or over phone. The visitor should reach the prison premises 30 minutes prior to the scheduled meeting time.

Each prisoner will be permitted one interview in 15 days and a maximum of two visitors will be allowed to meet a prisoner.

The visitors must produce vaccination certificate (both doses) or a negative RT-PCR report taken 72 hours prior to the meeting. The timings are between 9 am and 2 pm on all days, except weekends and holidays.