The Supreme Court of India.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed several states and Union Territories to provide complete information with regard to the functioning of open prisons, within four weeks.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and K Vishwanathan considered submission by senior advocate K Parameshwar, acting as amicus curiae that the states and union territories of Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Ladakh have not yet filed their response.
The counsel also said the NCT of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab had not submitted qualitative and quantitative charts, despite the questionnaire indicating that these states have open correctional institutes.
He also stated the affidavits filed by Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu also do not contain all the requisite specific information.
"The registry is directed to ensure that the order is communicated to the chief secretaries of all the states/union territories concerned. We further clarify that if any of the state governments or union territories do not respond in terms of the orders passed by this court, we will be compelled to direct the presence of the chief secretary of the states/union territories concerned before this court," the bench said.
The court fixed the matter for consideration after four weeks.