Wednesday, 21 June 2023 | PNS | NAINITAL
The Uttarakhand High Court has directed the State government to inform it on July 27 about the current status of the special leave petition filed in the Supreme Court against the orders of the High Court. Hearing on a public interest litigation filed against the lack of CCTV cameras and other facilities in the prisons in the State, the division bench of chief justice Vipin Sanghi and justice Rakesh Thapliyal also directed the inspector general of prisons, Home secretary and prison reform committee head and former IG VK Singh to appear in court via video conferencing on July 27.
During the hearing on Tuesday, the petitioner’s counsel told the court that in the past the HC had formed a prison reform committee under former IG VK Singh for improvements in the jails in the State. The committee had stated in its report that the jails in Uttarakhand lack basic and various other facilities. On the basis of this report, the High Court had issued various directions to the State government for bringing about the necessary improvements in the condition of prisons in Uttarakhand. However, instead of implementing the directions of the court, the State government filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court against the directions of the High Court.
It is pertinent to mention here that Santosh Upadhyay and others had filed PILs stating that in 2015 the Supreme Court had issued an order directing all the States to set up CCTV cameras in prisons and provide basic facilities in the jails. The vacant posts in State human rights commission were also to be filled.However, years after the orders the State government has not implemented the SC orders. The petitioners have sought that the State government be directed to implement the apex court orders.
