Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 26: Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti today expressed serious concern over the continued detention of a large number of Kashmiri undertrials in jails outside the Valley, saying the issue has devastated families both emotionally and financially.
Addressing a press conference, Mufti said families of detainees were suffering immensely as they could not afford frequent travel to distant prisons to meet their loved ones. She said many households were barely able to meet daily expenses, making such visits impossible.
The PDP Chief said she had written in February to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police seeking details about the number of detainees and undertrials lodged outside Kashmir, but no response was received. She said letters were later sent to the Union Home Minister and the Home Secretary requesting the transfer of undertrials to jails within Kashmir, but the appeals yielded no outcome.
She said the matter was then taken to court through a public interest litigation but termed it shocking that the plea was rejected after being given a political colour. Mehbooba said a politician remained closely connected to ground realities and questioned why the court did not take suo motu cognisance of the issue even after rejecting the PIL. “Why does the court not want to know why undertrials are languishing in jails for years without conviction?” she asked, adding that it was unrealistic to expect poor families to approach courts when they struggled to make ends meet.
Referring to statements made by the Prime Minister, the President, and a former Chief Justice of India, Mufti said it had been acknowledged at the national level that nearly 76 percent of prisoners were undertrials. She questioned what options remained for ordinary people if such issues were not addressed.
She said there were expectations that the formation of a government would lead to the resolution of this sensitive humanitarian issue but expressed disappointment over the lack of progress.
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