Gauhati High Court Directs Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram & Arunachal Pradesh To Submit Affidavits On Jail Conditions
The Gauhati High Court has directed the states of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh to submit comprehensive affidavits addressing the issues raised by a Committee's inspection report on the conditions of central and district jails across these states.
The Division bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Kaushik Goswami instructed the counsels representing the four states to file affidavits detailing the actions taken in response to the Committee's recommendations. The Court said, “Learned counsel representing the States of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh are directed to file their respective comprehensive affidavit addressing all the issues highlighted by the Committee in its inspection report, which is annexed to the affidavit filed on behalf of the Registrar General of the Gauhati High Court on 20.08.2024.The affidavits shall contain as to what measures the above-referred four States have taken in respect of the recommendations made by the Committee and if those recommendations have not been implemented, then by what time they are going to implement the same.”
On August 20, 2024, an affidavit was filed on behalf of the Registrar General of the Gauhati High Court, which annexed the Committee’s inspection report. This report was compiled by a Committee consisting of the Member Secretary of the Assam State Legal Services Authority, along with the DIG of Prisons in the Guwahati and Jorhat ranges. The Committee conducted inspections of various jails in Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh. The report highlighted that, overall, the conditions in the jails across these states were unsatisfactory, and it included several recommendations for improvements.
The Court noted that the four states had failed to respond to the affidavit filed by the Registrar General, prompting the Court's direction for the states to file their respective affidavits addressing the concerns raised in the inspection report.
The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on January 29, 2025, by which time the states are required to submit their affidavits. The Court emphasized that the affidavits must be filed without fail by that date.
Cause Title: XXX v. In Re The State of Assam & Ors., [GAHC010116722018]
Appearance:
Respondent: Sr. Govt. Advocate D. Nath, Addl. A.G P. Bhattacharya, Addl. A.G. T. Khro, Addl. A.G B.D. Goswami
