Are the Rights of prisoners being violated in Odisha?
19 Jan, 2014The reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has shown that various jails across Odisha are overcrowded than their stipulated strength. The reply showed that there are almost twice the prisoners lodged in many jails of the state from the category of under trail and convicted prisoners than their scheduled accommodation. Such jails include those of Baragharh, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Rayagada, Angul and 12 other jails.
The RTI applicant has lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) contending that the prisoners’ rights to live were being violated even after punishment. The complainant also alleged that many prisoners were undergoing dual punishment for the same offence and requested the human rights commission to take action against the erring officers and to compensate the prisoners.
The NHRC has now issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of the state directing him to submit an action-taken report (ATR) regarding the issue within four weeks. But is the situation any different in other parts of the country?