Chief justices told to expedite trial of undertrials

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said in Rajya Sabha that he has appealed to chief justices of all 25 high courts to ensure expeditious trial and release of undertrials who have completed 50 per cent of their proposed sentence.

Release of undertrial prisoners is part of the reform process of jails to lessen the load, he said during Question Hour.

As per the India Justice Report 2019 by Tata Trusts, 67.7 per cent India's prison population comprised undertrials in 2016.

Replying to a supplementary, the Law Minister said: "Those who have completed more than 50 per cent of their status as an undertrial in jail, they must be released if they are not serious offenders in many more cases. I have been to all chief justices of high courts of India...the Home Ministry is doing, I am making an appeal ...As far as release on bail is concerned that can be done only and only by judiciary."
On the issue of doing away with bail bonds, the minister said, "If there is no bond per se and if any one runs away from trial what is other way out. it is a complicated issue ... it is a sensitive issue."