Gauhati HC Directs Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram And Arunachal Pradesh To Report Steps Taken To Improve Condition Of Central/District Jails

The Gauhati High Court recently directed four states–Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, to file their respective comprehensive affidavit addressing all the issues highlighted by a Committee in its inspection report concerning the condition of different central jails and district jails across these states.

The division bench of the Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Kaushik Goswami further observed:

“Learned counsel representing the States of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh are directed to file their respective comprehensive affidavit addressing all the issues highlighted by the Committee in its inspection report, which is annexed to the affidavit filed on behalf of the Registrar General of the Gauhati High Court on 20.08.2024.The affidavits shall contain as to what measures the above-referred four States have taken in respect of the recommendations made by the Committee and if those recommendations have not been implemented, then by what time they are going to implement the same.”

An affidavit was filed on behalf of the Registrar General of the High Court on August 20 in a writ petition on the issue, annexing a report in relation to the inspection carried out by the Committee consisting of the Member Secretary, Assam State Legal Services Authority, DIG, Prison, Guwahati Range and DIG, Prison, Jorhat range in respect of different central jails and district jails in the States of Assam Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

In the inspection report, the Committee highlighted the situation prevailing in the jails of the above-mentioned four States and it was reported that by and large the condition of the jails in all the four States is not satisfactory. The Committee further provided certain recommendations in the said inspection report.

The Court noted that all the four States have not responded to the said affidavit filed on behalf of the Registrar General of the High Court.

Thus, the Court directed the mentioned four States to file their respective affidavits addressing the issues mentioned in the inspection report.

The matter is listed again on January 29, 2025.

“By that time, the affidavits on behalf of all the four States be filed positively,” the Court said.

Case Title: XXX v. In Re- The State of Assam and 7 Ors.

Case No.: WP(C)(Suo Moto)/8/2018

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