Present:- Court on its own motion.
Ms. Tanu Bedi, Advocate as Amicus Curiae and
Mr. Abhimanyu Jairath, Advocate.
Mr. Arun Gosain, Senior Govt. Counsel
for the respondent/UOI.
Mr. A.D.S. Sukhija, Addl. AG, Punjab and
Mr. Harmandeep Singh Sullar, Senior DAG, Punjab.
Mr. Arun Pal Singh, ADGP (Prisons), Punjab
(through video conferencing).
Mr. Rahul Dev Singh, Addl. A.G., Haryana
Mr. Ashish Yadav, Addl. AG, Haryana.
Mr. Munish Bansal, Public Prosecutor, UT, Chandigarh and
Mr. Rajiv Vij, Additional Public Prosecutor for UT, Chandigarh.
Mr. Gourave Bhayyia Gilhotra, Advocate and
Mr. Hitesh Verma, Advocate for the applicant
in CM-85-CWPIL-2023.
***
Learned counsel for State of Punjab has filed an affidavit of
Deputy Inspector General of Prisons, Punjab, Chandigarh, which is taken on
record.
CWP-PIL-93-2023 (O&M) and
other connected cases -2-
Learned counsel for U.T. Chandigarh has also filed reply by way
of an affidavit of Superintendent, Model Jail, Chandigarh, which is taken on
record.
Learned Amicus Curiae submits that she has learnt that there have
been several instances where extortion/threatening calls have been made by or
on behalf of the inmates of the jail as one such matter pertaining to the State of
Punjab was brought to the notice of the Single Bench of this Court.
Learned counsel for State of Punjab submits that an instance was
indeed brought to the notice of the Single Bench wherein witness had stated
that he had received a threatening call on behalf of one of the accused but he
was on bail.
Heard.
It would indeed be a matter of grave concern if the inmates
whether undertrials or convicts are making extortion or threatening calls from
within the precincts of the jail.
Learned counsel for the State of Punjab has apprised us about the
steps being taken to augment the jail security including the installation of
jammers, X-ray machines etc. but that process would take sometime.
It would not be difficult for the authorities to sanitize the areas
which house the high security inmates or those involved in henious crime
including extortion. Such Prisoners are stated to have been put up in a separate
high security zones. It is the need of the hour that the high security zones
should be immediately sanitized to ensure that there are no
extortion/threatening calls by the inmates.
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CWP-PIL-93-2023 (O&M) and 4
other connected cases -3-
——-
Learned counsel for State of Punjab prays for time to apprise the
Court about the details of the extortion/threatening calls, if any, reported and
the action taken in that regard.
The States of Punjab, Haryana and U.T. Chandigarh shall also
furnish the jail wise data with regard to the recovery and seizure of mobile
phone from the jails during the last 03 months.
List on 15.04.2024.
A photocopy of this order be placed on the files of connected
cases.
(ANUPINDER SINGH GREWAL)
JUDGE
(KIRTI SINGH)
JUDGE
March 21, 2024
A.Kaundal
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