HC issues notice to Home Ministry to release foreign prisoners

Chandigarh, Jul 29 (UNI) The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notices to Union Home Ministry, the External Affairs Ministry, among others, for September eight on a PIL seeking directions for immediate release and also repatriation of 51 prisoners of foreign origin lodged at the Amritsar Central Jail as they had all completed their sentences.

The notices were issued by a Division Bench of Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Mahesh Grover while hearing the PIL filed by Amritsar based advocate Ajay Kumar Virmani.

Mr Virmani had secured this information from authorities concerned under the Right to Information Act. A majority of these prisoners were from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who were apprehended mainly for offences under the Indian Passport Act.

UNI XC HS GL CS2102