Gauhati HC Questions Govt Decision To Convert Matia Transit Camp Into Prison

GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court questioned the Assam Government's decision to turn the Matia transit camp in Goalpara district, which was originally intended for "foreigners," into a "prison".

The Justice Sandeep Mehta and Justice Sumitra Saikia division bench remarked, "If you want to increase your prison capacity, do it where the prisons are built.”

The bench made the comments as it was deliberating a criminal petition brought forth by an attorney in 2020 concerning the alleged unlawful imprisonment of five individuals who had been classified as "foreigners" by the foreigners' tribunal.

The court was also made aware of the methods used to maintain the state's foreigner-related detention facilities.

"You should work out in the jails if you want to conduct capacity-building exercises. You are not allowed to enter a facility that is only intended for people who are not criminals or inmates. They might be in the wrong place at the wrong time for a variety of reasons, but you can't detain them in the same facility as regular offenders”, the bench ruled.

Matia transit camp officially opened in January 2021, when the first batch of 68 prisoners was transferred from another transit camp in the Goalpara district jail.

Over 350 people are said to have been detained at the Matia transit camp since February 5 of this year.

In August 2021, Assam administration declared that "transit camps" would be the new name for the state's correctional facilities housing "foreigners".

Due to the state's recent, intense crackdown on child marriages, which caused a capacity shortage in existing jails, the decision was made to turn the transit camp into a prison.

The police will file cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act against people who married girls between the ages of 14 and 18, as well as under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act against men who married girls under the age of 14. This was recently announced by the chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma.

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