Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, visited the Central Jail to examine the conditions of the detainees and the grade of the legal aid services offered to them.
He went to assess the conditions of the prisoners and the level of the legal aid services being provided to them.
Along with Member Secretary J&K Legal Services Authority Amit Gupta, the Chief Justice was joined by his Principal Secretary M K Sharma.
The Chief Justice was greeted at Central Jail by the SP for North Zone Srinagar Raja Zuhaib, the Chairman of the DLSA Srinagar Jawad Ahmed.
Additionally, Deepak Kumar, the Director General of Prisons in J&K, and Daljit Singh, the Superintendent of Central Jail, were also present.
During his visit, the Chief Justice personally toured all the barracks within the Central Jail and engaged in meaningful conversations with the inmates, attentively hearing their grievances and concerns.
Justice Singh assured the prisoners that their legitimate issues would be addressed and promptly took action by issuing on-the-spot instructions to the appropriate authorities.
This proactive approach aimed to ensure that the grievances raised by the inmates would be resolved expeditiously, emphasizing the Chief Justice’s commitment to ensuring justice and fairness within the prison system.
Chief Justice’s Constructive Discussions with Jail Inmates
Chief Justice engages in fruitful conversations with legal volunteers, jail staff, and detainees at Srinagar’s Central Jail.
The discussions aimed to address concerns and improve the quality of legal assistance provided.
Inmates expressed satisfaction with their representation in courts through engaged or assigned counsel.
During the discussion, every jail inmate acknowledged that they are being represented in the relevant courts, wherever their cases are ongoing, by either the attorney they have hired or the attorney given by the relevant District Legal Services Authorities.
Justice Singh instructed the prison staff to connect to the District Court in Srinagar in order to evaluate the efficacy of the video-conferencing equipment that is present in the Central prison.
He then engaged with the system assistant and expressed his pleasure with the facility’s performance.
This interaction not only demonstrated the Chief Justice’s commitment to leveraging technology for efficient legal proceedings but also highlighted the successful implementation of a reliable and satisfactory video conferencing system in the jail premises.
Chief Justice prioritizes prisoners’ rights
The Chief Justice highlights the importance of upholding prisoners’ fundamental rights and ensuring their access to justice.
He emphasizes the need to provide adequate legal support for their fair representation. Recognizing the significance of safeguarding their rights, the Chief Justice emphasizes a commitment to ensuring justice for all inmates.
The Chief Justice inspects the Central Jail’s Legal Aid Clinic in Srinagar and notes its critical role in providing detainees with legal assistance.
Expressing satisfaction, he commends the dedicated legal and para-legal volunteers for their efforts in upholding prisoners’ rights.
The Chief Justice acknowledges the clinic’s functioning and lauds the tireless commitment of the volunteers.
The Chief Justice also looked over the Central Jail’s medical centre, recreation centre, tailoring shop, gym, carpentry shop, vet canteen, muqaat centre, calling booth, and other amenities.
During the event, the Director General of Prisons assured the Chief Justice that urgent measures would be taken to alleviate congestion in Srinagar’s Central Jail and construct additional restrooms for prisoners.
The commitment aims to improve living conditions and ensure better facilities for inmates.
The assurance indicates a proactive strategy by the jail administration to reduce congestion and improve inmates’ well-being.
Relevantly, the visit’s main goal was to assess the inmates’ living conditions and amenities and to assess the success of the Legal Aid Clinic that was created in Central Jail Srinagar.
