Nearly 200 under-trial prisoners have been identified in Jammu Kashmir for release on bail as part of the campaign launched on the 75th year of independence of the country and in order to unclog the prisons, Daily Excelsior reported.
The orders in this regard will be passed by the respective Principal District and Sessions Judges before August 13.
The report further added that the issue of under-trial prisoners was one of the moot points addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the joint conference of the Chief Ministers and High Court Chief Justices in the month of April this year.
He had appealed to all the Chief Ministers and Chief Justices of the High Courts to give priority to the matters on basis of humanitarian sensibility and law.
Quoting sources, the Daily Excelsior report said that a total of 374 under-trial prisoners and convicts were shortlisted in Jammu Kashmir for release on bail as part of the “Ease of Justice” campaign but the respective District Under-Trial Review Committees have approved nearly 200 such prisoners by strictly following the 16-point criteria laid down in this regard.
The under-trials/convicts identified by the District Under-Trial Review Committees for release on bail include those facing Section 436 CrPC, those released on bail by the courts but have not been able to furnish sureties, accused of compoundable offenses, those who may be covered under Section 3 of the Probation of Offenders Act namely accused of an offense under Section 379, 380, 381, 404, 420 IPC or alleged to have committed offense inviting imprisonment for not more than two years, those who have been detained under Chapter VIII of the CrPC—under Section 107, 108, 109 and 151 CrPC, those who are sick or infirm and require specialized medical treatment, women offenders, those who are first-time offenders and fall in the age group of 19 to 21 years and in the custody for the offense punishable with less than 7 years of imprisonment and have suffered at least one-fourth of the maximum sentence possible.
These under-trial prisoners also include those who were granted bail by the courts during the pandemic and have adhered to all the conditions of the bond and have either returned to the prison on the stipulated date or have regularly attended court on due hearings and those who are above 65 years of age.