51 women undertrial prisoners released on bail: Delhi HC told

The Delhi High Court was on Monday informed by the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DLSA) that 51 women out of 152 women undertrial prisoners, who have been languishing in Tihar jail for more than six months or completed half of their sentences in lesser offences, have been released on bail.

Filing an affidavit before a division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath, the DLSA said that in Jail No.6 at Tihar, there were 105 women undertrial prisoners who were facing charges other than murder, rape, culpable homicide not amounting to murder and under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

There were 47 women undertrial prisoners who have completed half of the period of their sentences in lesser offences in case of multiple offences, the affidavit said.

Undertrial Review Committees have already been constituted in all districts of Delhi in compliance with the Supreme Court's directions in April 2015, the affidavit said.

Out of 47 women undertrial prisoners, 11 have been granted bail by trial courts.

"Out of 105 undertrial prisoners lodged in Jail No.6, a total of 40 undertrial prisoners have been granted bail," said the affidavit filed by member secretary Dharmesh Sharma of DLSA.

The DLSA response came on a bunch of PILs over the plight of 152 women undertrial prisoners not involved in heinous crimes but languishing in Tihar for over six months due to tardy disposal of cases.