Srinagar: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh has sought a report from the government indicating capacity of each jail in Jammu and Kashmir, the number of prisoners and under-trials lodged therein besides the condition of these jails.
Hearing a batch of clubbed Public Interest Litigations (PILs),a division bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi said:
“ We direct the Director-General of Prisons to submit a complete report with full details of the capacity of each jail in the Union Territory, the number of prisoners and undertrials lodged therein and about the existing conditions as also the proposal with regard to the construction of any new jail within the Union Territory” . The report, the court said, may be filed within a month.
The Court said this in context with the condition of under prisoners and under trials lodged in various jails of the J&K.
With regard to the upgradation of the jail manual of J&K, the bench observed that on the last occasion a statement was made that the same had been revised and shall be placed before the Court.
The Court however pointed out that Asifa Padroo, Additional Advocate General (AAG), appearing for J&K, was unable to make any submission in regard to the revision or amendment of the Jail manual of the J&K.
After the AAG sought some time for bringing on record the amended or revised jail manual, the Court accepted her prayer in this regard and granted her further two weeks to do the needful, failing which, the court said, she will deposit an exemplary cost of rupees ten thousand before the Registry.
Meanwhile, T M Shamsi, Assistant Solicitor General of India(ASGI) on behalf of the Union Territory of Ladakh informed the court that the jail manual was amended, published as well as uploaded on the official website of the Union Territory of Ladakh.
“The jail manual of the Union Territory of Ladakh is now similar to the jail manual of the Tihar Jail rather much advanced,” he said.
In view of the contention of the ASGI, the court said the stakeholders are required to go through the amended jail manual and file objections, if any.