JAMMU: A Division Bench of the Supreme Court of India comprising JJ Mr. A.K. Sikri & Mr. Ashok Bhushan today directed the counsels of the Union of India to file ‘status report’ on the foreign prisoners mostly from Pakistan, POK and Afghanistan who have been suffering in different Indian jails for more than a decade without trial. The Union of India in its rejoinder in writ petition (Crl.) No.310/2005 filed by Prof.Bhim Singh had admitted that several foreign prisoners had been released and there were 254 such prisoners in different Indian jails, mostly Pakistanis and residents of POK.
Prof.Bhim Singh submitted before the Supreme Court that several prisoners from Pakistan and POK are suffering for years in different Indian jails, mostly, detained under the J&K Public Safety Act. He strongly argued that no prisoner can be detained for more than two years under PSA, J&K. The Union of India was directed in May this year to file status report on the POK and Pakistani prisoners who have been detained in different Indian jails and what was the reason. The Supreme Court had fixed this day, 26th July, 2017, to hear the matter.
Prof.Bhim Singh, Sr. Advocate regretted that Union of India has not considered that direction given by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India regarding the trial and deportation of the Pakistani prisoners who had completed their respective sentences in the respective prisons. The Division Bench of the Hon’ble Supreme Court granted an opportunity to the counsels representing the Union of India to file the status report and announced that the case shall be listed on November 14, 2017.