3 hours ago
6
ARTICLE AD BOX
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has moved the J&K High Court, seeking a direction to the Union Home Ministry for all undertrial prisoners from the UT, who are lodged in prisons in other states, to be moved back to J&K.
The petition has also sought directions to the Centre to “reimburse reasonable travel and accommodation for one family member per month to meet under-trial (prisoners) in out-of-state prisons”.
“This petition challenges the continuing practice of lodging under-trials belonging to J&K in prisons outside the Union Territory, even though their FIRs are registered and trials conducted within J&K,” reads the petition. “The practice… violates the presumption of innocence, and frustrates the core of Article 21…” it said.
“Post 5 August 2019 (the day Article 370 was abrogated), numerous J&K residents facing investigation or trial in J&K were lodged in prisons outside the UT. FIRs are registered and trials convened within J&K, yet incarceration occurs hundreds of kilometres away, defeating the court access, family visits, and counsel conferences, and imposing crippling travel costs on indigent families,” the petition reads.
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
English (US) ·