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I-G (Prisons) summoned over legal aid to a poor convict

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday summoned in person the Inspector-General (Prisons) here to explain why a poor convict in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act case was not extended free legal aid to file an appeal in time against the lower court judgment.

Justice Kailash Gambhir asked the Inspector-General to be present in person before the Court on September 26 to explain also why poor convicts were not able to avail themselves of free legal remedies provided by the Delhi Legal Services Authority and several social organisations within the prescribed period of limitation.

Mr. Justice Gambhir pulled up the jail authorities as well as counsel for the Legal Services Authority for “their dereliction of duty and utter negligence”.

In the present case, convict Kharag Singh could not file an appeal against his conviction for more than three years because he could not arrange the money to meet the essential costs.

The matter reached the High Court when the convict’s brother engaged a lawyer to file an appeal as well as an application for condoning the delay.

When the Court enquired from the convict’s counsel about the delay, he submitted that his client was a very poor man so his family could not arrange an advocate in time to file an appeal.

The time limit for filing an appeal in this particular case was three months from the date of conviction.

The Assistant Public Prosecutor for the case submitted that the Delhi Legal Services Authority and several social organisations had made arrangements for providing free legal aid to the poor.

“It is shocking that despite such arrangements the present convict was not able to prefer an appeal in time. The jail authorities have played a cruel joke with the personal liberty of a citizen,” the Court observed.

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