JAMMU, OCTOBER 15: A team of senior officials today visited the District Jail Amphalla, Jammu to review the condition of under trial prisoners, assess jail facilities and conduct 4th meeting of the Under Trial Review Committee (UTRC).
The 4th UTRC meeting was convened under the chairmanship of Y. P. Bourney, Chairman, District Legal Services Authority & (Principal District & Sessions Judge) Jammu and was attended by Ansuya Jamwal, Additional District Commissioner (Adm), Jammu; Dr. Smriti Sharma, Secretary DLSA Jammu; Vivek Shekhar, Superintendent of Police Jammu North; Prashant Mahajan, Deputy Director Prosecution Jammu; Anil Mangotra, Chief Prosecution Officer Jammu; Veerinder Kumar Bhat, Superintendent of Central Jail Kot Bhalwal Jammu; Dharminder Katoch, Superintendent of District Jail Amphalla Jammu and Anil Sharma, Chief Legal Aid Defense Counsel Jammu.
The committee reviewed the status of under-trial prisoners in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court and the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). During the meeting, the committee reviewed various cases based on guidelines from the Supreme Court and NALSA SOPs, focusing on prisoners lacking proper representation or those who have spent substantial time behind bars.
The meeting concluded with a series of recommendations aimed at expediting pending cases, improving coordination between prison authorities and investigating agencies and ensuring that every eligible undertrial receives benefit of speedy justice as mandated by law The District Legal Services Authority, Jammu reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the rights of undertrials and promoting access to justice through continuous review mechanisms like the UTRC.
Further, Y. P. Bourney, Chairman DLSA Jammu during the jail visit interacted with inmates to understand their grievances and emphasized the importance of timely legal assistance and inspected the jail premises and assured all necessary administrative and security support for the welfare of inmates.
Y. P. Bourney also held interaction with under trial prisoners, detenues and convicted prisoners in the ground area of the jail and took first hand stock of facilities available there. The inspection covered a wide range of areas, including the Jail Legal Aid Clinic, Virtual VC rooms, interview area, Jail Prisoner calling system, Jail Hospital, Kitchen Area etc. The Medical Centre within the jail premises was also thoroughly inspected. They also checked the quality of the food prepared in Jail for the prisoners and also took stock of medical facilities and listened attentively to the inmates’ concerns and grievances and provided them a platform for feedback on the services provided by District Legal Services Authority Jammu.
Later, the jail inmates also organised a cultural programme in the honour of Pr. District and Sessions Judge Jammu.
