The Hindu : High Court moved by plight of women

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 07, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

High Court moved by plight of women

NEW DELHI, MARCH 6. Taking note of a letter sent by the National Human Rights Commission highlighting the pathetic conditions of women undertrials, languishing in jail in the capital, Delhi High Court has suo motu granted bail in many cases.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice B D Ahmed, ordered release on bail in seven of 15 cases it took up. The judges were dealing with a bunch of 26 cases, in which the women were in jail for as many as five years because of delay in trial. In some cases, the lower court had ordered bail but it could not be availed of by the accused due to their inability to pay the personal/surety amounts needed for securing bail.

Of the 15 cases the bench took up, bail was granted in seven, denied in three cases (in light of the seriousness/gravity of offences they were accused of). Bail had since been given by the trial court in three other cases and two other cases had been finally decided in the lower court in the meantime. Earlier, acting on a complaint a NHRC team had visited Delhi's Tihar jail to have a first hand experience of the condition of women inmates.

Thereafter, the NHRC wrote to the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court the detailed accounts of such women. Taking note of the letter, the division bench directed the city police to furnish records. Each case was examined individually on its merit before the orders were given.

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