HC directs Punjab, Haryana for separate prisons for women

Chandigarh, May 24 (UNI) The Punjab and Haryana high Court today directed the governments of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh Administration to take steps to carry out the provisions in the jail manual, about lodging only women prisoners in jails exclusively meant for them.

The orders were issued by the court's division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Harjit Singh Bedi and Justice Ranjit Singh Randhawa during the resumed hearing on a Pubic Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions in this regard.

The PIL had also pointed out that it has officially been conveyed to the petitioner that there were 67 women prisoners in Punjab jails out of which 25 were lodged in women's jail at Ludhiana.

In Haryana, there were as many as 509 female inmates including 293 under-trials of which 128 were lodged in the Borstel jail, Hisar which is a special jail for women prisoners.

In UT Chandigarh, there were a total of 22 women prisoners who were lodged in separate wards of Burail jail.

UNI XC PS SI KN2137