Prime minister Narendra Modi pitched for speedy release of 350,000 undertrial prisoners languishing in jails for years and requested the chief ministers and chief justices of high courts to resolve this issue on priority.
“Sensitivity of people is linked to speedy justice and this should never be forgotten. In India, approximately 350,000 prisoners are undertrials, most of whom are either commoners or are from
poor families,” Modi said at the 11th Conference of CMs and Chief Justices. “Every district should have a committee headed by the district judge to examine each of these cases and wherever possible release them on bail. I am appealing to all CMs and HC CJs to give priority to this issue while taking into account human sensitivities and without compromising the legal requirements.”
India’s top law officer KK Venugopal had echoed similar sentiments and said, “As much as 76% of inmates are undertrials, which is the highest in 25 years. These are poor people, Dalits, poverty-stricken people who are unable to furnish bail bonds and continue to rot in jails for years without their cases being taken up. Something drastic has to be done to remedy the situation and find an effective antidote to this deep malady that afflicts our judicial system.”
Modi said he has appointed a committee to explore the possibility of enacting laws, the text of which could be understood easily by common citizens. “Many countries are making laws in two versions, one in the legal language and the other in a language citizens could understand. This way the common man does not have to reach out to a court or legal expert to understand what the law is. We are also studying a similar model for enactment of laws in India: one version in legal language and the other in a language familiar to the people. Both should be passed simultaneously by the state assemblies and Parliament.” Both the PM and CJI NV Ramana were on the same page on conducting court proceedings in a language accessible to the litigants.
