New Delhi, December 23
Taking a serious note of a mentally ill undertrial Jai Singh lodged in the Ambala Jail for 27 years, the National Human Rights Commission has sought a report from authorities within three weeks for the inordinate delay in the trial.
Terming it as yet another case where the judiciary and prison authorities appeared to have failed to protect the human rights of prisoners, the Commission has sought reports from the Superintendent Mental Hospital, Amritsar, Superintendent Central Jail, Ambala and Additional Sessions Judge, Kurukshetra, within three weeks.
The case of undertrial prisoner came to the notice of NHRC Chairperson, Dr Justice A.S. Anand,
when he visited the Central Jail in October.
Jai Singh had been admitted to the Ambala Jail on September 4, 1977 as an undertrial in a murder case. He was transferred to the mental hospital on May 9, 1979 for treatment and thereafter never produced in the trial court.
The Commission said from preliminary report of the Central Jail, it is not clear whether the Superintendent of Mental Health, Amritsar, has been submitting periodical reports regarding the mental and physical condition of Jai Singh to the
Additional Sessions Judge as required under the Mental Health Act.
