Will form panel to study jails: Maha govt tells HC

The Maharashtra government today told the Bombay High Court it would form a committee under a retired high court judge to conduct a study on setting up a model prison with necessary infrastructure and steps to reduce overcrowding.

A division bench of justices A S Oka and A A Sayed had earlier this month emphasised the need for the government to carry out a study to relook at the pattern of jails in the state and ascertain future requirements.

Additional Public Prosecutor F R Shaikh today told the high court that the government was ready to set up a committee under a retired high court judge to conduct such a study.
 

"The committee would also comprise of Inspector General of Prisons, Director General of Police, a retired Inspector General of Prisons and an expert from Tata Institute of Social Sciences," he said.

The court, which was hearing a public interest litigation on the issue of jail conditions in the state, will pass a detailed judgement in the matter in due course.