Srinagar: Pursuant to the orders of the Hon’ble High Court of J&K, a three-member team of lawyers comprising of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, Vice President, G. N. Shaheen General Secretary and Sameer Ahmad Wani, Treasurer, J&K High Court Bar Association, Srinagar, visited Central Jail, Srinagar and sought legal interview with the inmates and the team also talked to the Jail authorities, about various issues relating to the inmates of the jail.
The interview with the inmates was held in the office of Superintendent, Central Jail Srinagar in his presence. The team members while interacting with the inmates about the proceedings in their respective cases assured them full legal assistance in invoking legal and judicial remedies. The inmates narrated various problems faced by them in the jail. The inmates stated that they are fully cooperating with the jail authorities in maintaining discipline as per the rules contained in Jail Manual as well as the Prisoners Act.
The inspecting team said that the conduct of the inmates has been quite disciplined in the jail and there is not a single compliant about indiscipline against any inmate, whether he is an undertrial prisoner, a convict or a detenue under preventive laws, but the fact of the matter is that more than 17 prisoners/undertrials have been illegally shifted from Central Jail Srinagar by the State Authorities and lodged in the jails located outside the Kashmir Valley in contravention to the rules and in violation of the court orders.” As per the team, the authorities are violating the rule of law themselves.
The prisoners told they are arrested according to law, lodged in jails according to law and court orders but the State authorities have shifted dozens of inmates to other jails in violation of law, which is matter of concern and surprise to all of us. It has created a feeling among the inmates, that they are punished by shifting outside Central Jail Srinagar without any reason or logic. inmates told the team members, that there is no hand of any inmate in escape of Naveed Jatt, who has in fact escaped from SMHS Hospital Srinagar which is 6 kms away from Central Jail Srinagar nor there is any allegation against any inmate of the jail in his escape.
His escape is a security lapse outside the jail, for which the inmates cannot be held guilty or punished under law.*_ The Bar Association assured the inmates that all the concerns related to the inmates in jail would be taken up with the appropriate authorities and all the judicial remedies available under law, will be invoked in the larger interests of the inmates.*_