As many as 41 Kashmiris detained under PSA in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana jails and one in Central Jail Srinagar will be set free as the Jammu and Kashmir government has revoked their detention order with immediate effect.
The step has been taken to decongest jails in view ofCOVID19 outbreak in pursuance to March 23 Supreme Court order.
As per official figures, about 500 J&K residents werebooked under the Public Safety Act on August 5, 2019, including 53 from Jammuregion, when the central government abrogated the special constitutionalposition of J&K.
Among the detainees being released, 15 are from Baramulladistrict, eight from Pulwama, seven from Anantnag, three from Kupwara, two fromBudgam, two from Bandipora, one from Kulgam, two from Ganderbal and one fromSrinagar.
Official sources said passes will be arranged for thosereleased to travel to their homeland. “The families will get attested copies ofrevocation order and travel passes from respective District Magistrates,” asenior government official told Greater Kashmir.
UP jail authorities said that they will be facilitating thereturn of the detainees. DIG, UP Police, Sanjeev Kumar told the Greater Kashmir,”Let the orders reach us.”
A senior Home Department official said that more cases arebeing securitised for release.
As many as 204 prisoners in total have been released thismonth to decongest jails across Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of COVID19pandemic, a senior government official said on Tuesday.
On April 1, a three-member high powered committee headed byExecutive Chairman J-K State Legal Services Authority (SLSA), Justice RajeshBindal along with Principal Secretary, Home Department, Shaleen Kabra and DGP(Prisons), V K Singh as its members, passed directions for the release of jailinmates except those involved in militancy related cases to decongest theprisons in the Union Territory.
The committee was constituted by the Jammu and Kashmirgovernment following an order by the Supreme Court on March 23, directing thestates and the UTs to decongest jails to ensure social distancing among theprisoners, while observing that overcrowding of prisons is a matter of seriousconcern in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.
The official said the highest number of 39 jail inmates werereleased from central Jail in Srinagar followed by 28 each from central jail inKot Bhalwal and district jail in Rajouri, 24 from district jail in Anantnag, 19from district jail in Udhampur, 18 from district jail in Jammu and 16 fromdistrict jail in Kupwara.
As many as 15 prisoners were released from sub-jail inHiranagar, 10 from special jail (correction home) in Pulwama, two from districtjail in Bhaderwah and one from district jail in Baramulla, he said. (with PTIinputs)