E-Paper
Inmates’ grievances heard during surprise check at jails in Ludhiana
During the inspection, district and sessions judge Harpreet Kaur Randhawa, who is also the chairperson of District Legal Services Authority, visited each barrack of the Central Jail, interacted with under trials and convicts, and listened to their grievances
In a surprise inspection of the Central Jail, Borstal Jail and Women’s Jail in Ludhiana, district and sessions judge Harpreet Kaur Randhawa reviewed the conditions of inmates, medical facilities and overall jail administration.
During the inspection, Randhawa, who is also the chairperson of District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), visited each barrack of the Central Jail, interacted with under trials and convicts, and listened to their grievances. She directed the jail authorities to address the issues immediately to ensure better living conditions for prisoners.
Randhawa also visited the jail hospital, where she spoke to each admitted inmate, inquiring about their medical care. She issued strict orders to the jail’s medical staff to ensure timely treatment and address any shortcomings in healthcare facilities.
Additionally, she inspected the jail kitchen, checking the quality of food served to inmates. The preparation of roti and dal was closely monitored to ensure proper hygiene and nutritional standards.
While inspecting the Women’s Jail, the judge interacted with female inmates to understand their specific challenges and concerns. She ordered jail officials to resolve their issues at the earliest and also assessed the medical facilities available to them.
Randhawa informed inmates about the availability of free legal aid services through the DLSA and encouraged those unable to afford private lawyers to seek legal assistance by approaching the legal aid clinic within the jail.
Following the inspection, Randhawa issued specific directives to the superintendents of all three jails, emphasising the need for immediate improvements in jail administration. She also demanded a compliance report to ensure that all issues are resolved in a timely manner.
The inspection was attended by Harvinder Singh, secretary, DLSA Ludhiana, Preeti Sukhija, additional chief judicialmagistrate, and Varinderjit Singh Randhawa, chief legal aid defence counsel, Ludhiana.
