‘Check if jails have PC, Internet’
To facilitate communication with the prisoners via Skype instead of video-conferencing, the Bombay high court on Wednesday asked the state to verify if prisons across the state have computers with a working Internet connection.
A division bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and A.P. Bhangale was hearing a public interest litigation filed by an accused Shaikh Abdul Naeem. In 2011, Naeem had written a letter to the high court from the jail stating that due to lack of police vehicles and escorts, the accused were not being produced in court for case trials. The court had converted his letter into a PIL.
In a previous hearing, the court had suggested the installation and usage of the computer application Skype, which allows its users to hold a video chat with another person. The court had said that usage of Skype or other such free application would be affordable and also facilitate communication between the courts and the prisoners.
However, public prosecutor Aruna Pai Kamat informed the court that about 44 jails in the state have the video-conferencing facility and so there was no requirement to install Skype. The court then contended that using Skype or other such free application would be cheaper than video-conferencing and that it would solve the problem of escorts and vehicles.
The court also directed the state to provide information on whether the prisons have computers with Internet connection. Ms Kamat informed the court that she would consult with the home secretary on the same and submit a reply to the court.
The litigant, Shaikh, was arrested on May 7, 2007, for his alleged role in the Aurangabad arms haul case. The letter was written from the Arthur Road Jail and stated that Shaikh, along with 46 other prisoners, had not been produced before the court due to lack of escort officers.
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