HC notice to Punjab on overcrowding in Phagwara jail

The Punjab and Haryana high court has taken suo motu notice of the plight of 31 undertrials kept in the Phagwara sub-jail in a congested room of 12 foot X 21 foot dimensions and has issued notice of motion to the Punjab government.

The Punjab and Haryana high court has taken suo motu notice of the plight of 31 undertrials kept in the Phagwara sub-jail in a congested room of 12 foot X 21 foot dimensions and has issued notice of motion to the Punjab government.

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It was during an inspection visit by justice K Kannan to the Phagwara sub-jail on March 22 that he came face to face with the situation. In a communication to chief justice Arjan Kumar Sikri, justice Kannan said, "It (room) is too small to allow for the barest comfort of a civilised living. It is grossly inhuman to dump so many people in such a small room."

Justice Kannan recommended that there is an immediate need for expansion of the jail premises and as an interim measure at least 25 inmates shall be transferred to Kapurthala model jail. Justice Kannan also suggested that issues of extension of remand for the transferred prisoners could be considered through video-conferencing.

The case would now come up for hearing on April 10.