HC seeks action report on poor facilities in jails

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 15

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the prison authorities of the state to file their action taken reports after the district judges, in their visiting reports, pointed out lack of infrastructure and other facilities in district and sub-jails.

The High Court directed that the jail inmates be provided all facilities.

The directions were issued on Monday by a division bench of the High Court which is hearing a public interest litigation on the lack of facilities in the state prisons.

As the matter came up before the High Court, many district judges in their visiting reports highlighted the lack of infrastructure and other facilities in the jails of their respective jurisdiction such as in the Bandipora and Anantnag jails.

Earlier, the High Court had taken serious not of the leniency shown by the district judges for not submitting their visiting reports of jails under their jurisdiction and had directed the Registrar General to seek a report as to whether periodical visit to the jails had been conducted by the judicial officers concerned.

In his visiting report, the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Anantnag, has pointed out that there is no doctor in Sub-Jail, Anantnag, and no water purifier for the prisoners.

The Principal District and Sessions Judge, Kargil, in his report has stated that there is no jail facility in the district and the undertrials are being shifted to Leh district for lodging, which is 220 km away.

The report by the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Poonch, states that the jail is under renovation and its inmates are brought to Rajouri, Kathua and Hiranagar.

As a result, no schedule is given to undertrials for facing the trial.

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court directed the authorities to ensure necessary renovation of the jail and provide all facilities to the inmates.

It was also pointed out that Bandipora district had no jail and the prisoners were brought to Kupwara and Srinagar to |face the trial.

The condition of some of the inmates at Central Jail, Srinagar, was also brought to the notice of the court.

It directed the authorities to ensure all possible treatment to the prisoners.

Kargil sans prison 

•  In his visiting report, the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Anantnag, has pointed out that there is no doctor in Sub-Jail, Anantnag, and no water purifier for the prisoners
• The Principal District and Sessions Judge, Kargil, in his report has stated that there is no jail facility in the district and the undertrials are being shifted to Leh district for lodging, which is 220 km away.