SC takes suo motu cognizance of delay in release of prisoners after bail

The CJI observed that the prison authorities did not release inmates even after the court had passed orders to that effect and instead waited for orders to be sent by post.

The Supreme Court on Friday took suo motu cognizance of the issue of delay of release of prisoners by jail authorities even after being granted bail by courts. The Supreme Court had ordered the immediate release of 13 prisoners on interim bail on July 8, after finding that they had been in jail for periods ranging from 14 to 22 years, even though they were juveniles at the time of offence, reported Live Law. The Apex Court took suo motu of a news report which claimed that the convicts of Agra Central Jail had not been released even after 3 days of granting them bail.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana observed that the prison authorities did not release inmates even after the court had passed orders to that effect and instead waited for orders to be sent by post. The CJI said, "This is too much," and expressed exasperation at the way prison authorities insisted on receipt of bail orders to be sent by post in the age of information and technology. The CJI exclaimed that "we are still looking at the skies for the pigeons to communicate the orders."

The bench also comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and A S Bopanna directed the Secretary General of the SC to submit a proposal within two weeks to implement Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records System (FASTER) for transmission of court orders to concerned Courts and Tribunals. The bench also directed State governments and Union Territories to submit details of internet facilities in their respective prisons or to suggest other alternative. The matter will be taken two weeks later.