High-power Panel Set-up to Decide Release of Jail Prisoners: Gauhati High Court

STAFF REPORTER GUWAHATI:

Decision on Release of Jail Inmates in Assam: The Gauhati High Court (GHC), hearing the PIL (suo-moto) 4/2020 said on Wednesday that a high-powered committee of the Court will decide the fates of the jail inmates who are supposed to be released in this COVID situation.

A division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Achintya Malla Bujor Barua said in its order, "Under these strange and difficult circumstances of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic where a High Powered Committee of this Court is already seized with the matter and which has drawn certain principles on which jail inmates have to be released on temporary bail for three months or so, it would be in the best interest of everyone that this list be forwarded to the said High Powered Committee which shall look into this aspect and examine whether any of the inmates who are in the list can be released under these special circumstances of COVID-19 pandemic (2nd wave)." [Also Read: 233 Inmates Prisoners in Assam Jails Tests COVID-19 Positive]

The Court also directs the Registrar (Judicial) to place this list before the High Powered Committee for a decision to be taken by the Committee.

Further, under the earlier order dated 11.05.2021, a list of female jail inmates has been placed before the Court which gives details of such female jail inmates who are either under trials or have been convicted and lodged in different jails in Assam and are having small children with them. The list contains the names of these inmates.

Notably, on inquiry, the High Court found that these children are not juvenile in conflict with the law, but they are in jail since they are less than six years of age and as per the Jail Manual, they are allowed to stay with their mothers who are in jail.

Listing the case of the next hearing, the date has been fixed to May 28, 2021.

Also Read: Gauhati High Court Wants Info on Persons Liable to be Released from Jails

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