CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed personal appearance of Inspector General (IG) of Prisons on August 26 in connection with steps being taken for decongestion of overcrowded jails.
The State government had stated in an affidavit that as on July 7, cases of 1,376 prisoners have been considered for shifting to decongest jails.
By May 31, the excess population in jails at Nuapada, Kodala and Bhadrak was 260 per cent (pc), 255 pc and 242 pc respectively. In Jajpur, Malkangiri, Paralakhemundi and Nayagarh jails, it was 220 pc, 214 pc, 209 pc and 163 pc respectively.
However, the court said it is not clear from the latest affidavits what the impact of shifting 1,376 prisoners is on the inmate population in each of the 13 other jails.
The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice SK Panigrahi said, “The court accordingly directs that a further affidavit be filed by the IG of Prisons updating the statistics and the exact numbers of inmates shifted from one jail to the other, or to some other suitable location”.
“The court also directs that on the next date, the IG of Prisons shall remain present in virtual mode with the relevant records in his office as to answer any query concerning the said affidavit”, the bench said in its July 16 order, a copy of which was available on Wednesday. The court was hearing a PIL on issues related to jail inmates in the State.