SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has appealed to the international human rights organisations to intervene into the issues faced by the prisoners across the jails in Kashmir valley.
According to them jail authorities are not adhering to the jail manual “due to which to which inmates are facing different problems.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday the HCBA said lawyers, led by the association president, Mian Abdul Qayoom, visited the Central Jail in Srinagar and interacted with prisoners.
They found out: “There have been no amendments in law related to providing food to the detainees, Interim of Jammu and Kashmir Detainees (General) Order 1968 ever since from February 27, 1990.”
The lawyers also said only 17 rupees were spent on the food and sanitation of detainees. “The Jail Superintendent told the Bar Team that he is spending Rs. 80/- approximately on food and toilet on each detainee but he admitted that the government has not issued any order. He is doing it on his own (sic).
The detainees shared that in Tihar Jail detainees are paid Rs. 200 per day for food and toilet and if they have to be taken to any court for a hearing they are given an additional amount of Rs. 170 per day. However, they complained that no such amount is paid to the detainees in the jails here,” the HCBA statement added.
The Bar association also said the law provides for “an all time Medical Officer, a senior Physician and a Medical Officer of the rank of Civil Surgeon (CMO) to visit the prison at least twice a week to give his expert advice.”
The Jail Superintendent said he spends Rs. 80 on food and sanitation of prisoners even without the government having asked him to do so.
“There should be at least one all time medical officer, two pharmacists and qualified nurses in the prison, but no such thing is available in the valley’s Central Jail or elsewhere,” it said.
The HCBA also said that detenues have not been segregated according to their status in life, public importance, education, reputation and the standard of living”.
“The detenues and undertrial prisoners also stated that the team constituted by the High Court for visiting the jails after every two months, does come to the Central Jail, but instead of redressing their grievances they are toeing the line of jail officials and are submitting reports to the High Court contrary to the ground realities as are happening in the jail.”
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