Study 'open jail' concept, come up with scheme by Mar 29: Allahabad High Court asks govt

Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court has directed the state government to study the ‘open jail’ concept being followed in other states like Rajasthan and Maharashtra and come up before it by March 29, 2024 with a scheme or proposal to serve the cause.

The Lucknow bench of the high court passed the order on February 28, taking up a suo motu public interest litigation in pursuance to a prisoner’s complaint.

In its order, the bench of Justice A R Masoodi and Justice B R Singh also asked the state to apprise it of the schemes, if any it has, about the dependents of prisoners, who were sole bread earner of their family and in whose absence, their family is forced to suffer from acute financial hardship, especially their children who are deprived of fundamental education and health cover.

The bench asked the state counsel Anurag Verma to apprise the additional chief secretary (home) as well as the director general (prisons and jail reforms) of the court’s order for making necessary compliance so as to evolve a complete reformative mechanism in the larger interest of convicts to serve the cause.

The bench also appointed advocate S M Royekwar to assist it in the matter.