Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 18
The Supreme Court has directed the Chief Secretaries or Administrators of 19 States/Union Territories (UTs) including Nagaland to file responses on the status and functioning of the open correctional institutions in their respective jurisdictions within three weeks.
This followed an earlier order on May 17, in which the Court directed the preparation and distribution of a questionnaire to gather information from all the States regarding the status and functioning of these institutions.
When the matter came up on July 15, the counsel for the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) told the Court that it received responses from the State Legal Service Authorities (SLSAs) of 18 States/UTs.
Accordingly, a bench of Justices B R Gavai, Sanjay Karol and K V Viswanathan directed the Registrar (Judicial) of the Court to forward a copy of the May 17 order to the Chief Secretaries and Administrators of those States/UTs who are yet to file the responses.
These States/UTs are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Delhi, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Ladakh.
“The responses by the concerned States/Union Territories shall be filed within a period of three weeks from today,” it added, listing the matter for further hearing after four weeks.
The Court was hearing a writ petition dealing with the issue of congestion in prisons and the rehabilitation of prisoners, among others.
Meanwhile, during the Monday hearing, NALSA also informed the Supreme Court that around 870 convicts, lodged in jails in 18 States and UTs, wish to file appeals against their convictions after being informed about free legal aid by Jail Visiting Lawyers (JVLs).
It further informed the Court that the NALSA would advise the concerned SLSAs to take immediate steps for filing appeals in the case of the aforesaid 870 convicts.
