Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 1: The High Court of J&K closed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking registration and vaccination of the prisoners of J&K in view of COVID pandemic with the direction to the petitioners to approach the Director General of Prisons in this regard.
The PIL was filed by Advocate Syed Musaib, for and on behalf of petitioner- Naseem Qadri with other one seeking direction for the registration and the vaccination of the prisoners in J&K. Advocate Musaib argued that though the prisoners also have a right of life which includes proper medication and protection against COVID-19 pandemic.
Advocate General submitted that the Government is conscious of its obligation and appropriate steps are being taken for the vaccination of all the citizens including under-trial as well as convicted prisoners. The prisoners he added, are not going to be left out from vaccination and they would be vaccinated on turn at an appropriate time.
The division bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Rajnesh Oswal in view of the facts and circumstances and after submission made by the counsel for the parties disposed of the petition with liberty to the petitioners to submit a comprehensive representation regarding the registration and vaccination of the prisoners to the Director General of Prisons, UT of J&K.
“In the event, any such representation is submitted, the Director General of Prisons, would consider it and take all possible immediate steps for the registration and the vaccination of the prisoners or may formulate a policy or a scheme so that no inmate of the jail remains un-vaccinated”, DB directed.
Two persons namely Naseem Qadri and Uzair Nazir Zarger had approached the court with the prayer that the authorities be directed to make available vaccine against COVID-19 virus for all the prison inmates lodged in various jails of the J&K UT.
“A direction be issued to the authorities to make arrangement for the prisoners to access the mandatory Co-Win application for uploading the requisite documents and enabling prisoners to be on beneficiary list”, they prayed.
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