Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): One prison in Madhya Pradesh should be selected to be ‘fast-tracked’, ensuring that the basic needs of all the inmates are fulfilled.
They get clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, nutritious food to eat, healthcare and education, suggested Justice Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari, a Supreme Court judge, at a seminar on ‘The prisoners’ right to health and security is a human right” at RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration in the city on Sunday.
The seminar was organised by the MP Human Rights Commission to mark the Human Rights Day. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Justice Maheshwari said that all criminals should be treated as patients and jails as places for their treatment and cure. Referring to the judgement by Justice V Krishnaiyer in the case of Sunil Batra vs.
Delhi Administration, he further said that the prisoners are entitled to all fundamental rights and they have enforceable liberties. He said that a person commits a crime for whatever reason and as a result lands up in a prison.
“But when he walks out of the jail, he should be a cured, a reformed person. That has to be ensured,” he said, adding that “we should hate crime and not criminals.”
He said that jails should be places where the conscience of the inmates is rekindled. He also referred to Hindi films ‘Do Raaste’ and ‘Karma’ as examples of how criminals can be reformed.
The event was also addressed by Justice Sanjeev Sudhakar Kalgaonkar, a judge at Gwalior bench of the MP High Court, Justice Sujoy Paul, chairman of the governing body of MP State Judicial Academy, Dr Vartika Nanda, head, and department of Journalism, Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi and Rajesh Rajora, ACS, Home.
Chairman (Acting) of MPHRC, Manohar Mamtani presided over the inaugural session. Besides, two technical sessions were also held.
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