A youth released from jail for three months on Wednesday, as part of an attempt to decongest correctional homes to fight the spread of the coronavirus, was arrested in New Alipore on Friday for allegedly stealing a cellphone, officers said.

Police said Suman Chetri, 20, a resident of Kamarpara in Behala, had been arrested by officers of Maheshtala police station last year on a theft charge. Following his release on bail, he shifted base to Dhubulia in Nadia.

“Chetri and his friend ran a racket that stole motorcycles in Nadia,” an officer said. “They were arrested again. Chetri was lodged at Krishnagar jail on remand. He was among the 3,000-odd inmates released from various jails on bail or parole for three months to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Chetri was released on bail on April 1.”

On Friday afternoon, a team from New Alipore police station intercepted Chetri after spotting him loitering around. “Initially, he gave a false name and address. On being questioned he revealed his real name. We found that he was trying to hide his mobile phone, which made us suspicious,” the officer said.

After calling up a few contacts on the mobile phone, the cops came to know that it belonged to a man named Kaushik Mitra, a resident of Sisir Bagan Road in Behala. “Mitra’s phone had been stolen an hour before from in front of a sweet shop on NR Avenue in Behala,” the officer said.

Based on Mitra’s complaint, officers of New Alipore police station started a theft case and arrested Chetri.

Chetri apparently told officers that he had been involved in a laptop theft in an area under Behala police station last year.

“Based on his statements, the laptop was recovered today,” an officer said.

An official in the state correctional services department said over 3,000 convicts and undertrials were released for three months on parole and bail, respectively, to decongest jails across the state. Undertrials accused of crimes whose maximum punishment is less than seven years in jail and convicts who have served more than 10 years in jail were considered for the temporary release.