Delhi High Court seeks status report on non-release of bailed undertrials

After a plea contended that over 300 undertrials were rotting in Tihar jail even after being granted bail, the Delhi High Court has sought a status report from the Delhi government.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar told the government to file the report by Saturday. The report must include details of the prisoners, cases in which they were involved, orders on bail or sentence, and reasons for not letting them out.

The bench also appointed former Director General of Police, Sudhir Yadav, as amicus curiae to assist the court in this matter.

The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Ajay Verma, who claimed that despite judicial bail orders, 326 prisoners are languishing in the jail and their release has not been facilitated due to non-furnishing of the surety bonds.

The plea sought the formulation of guidelines and directions. It mentioned that many of the undertrials have not been released despite bail orders, due to non-fulfillment of conditions attached to the bail orders due to poverty and ignorance.

"In most of the cases, no one on their behalf had even bothered to move to the court for relaxing, waving or reduction of the conditions imposed on them," the plea said, adding, that the apex court had also directed that the legal services authorities take up those cases before the concerned court to relax the bail conditions.