THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, July 30: 23 Under-Trial Prisoners (UTP) have been enlarged on bail following recommendations by the Under Trial Review Committee, which sat on July 15, said the Secretary of the Palamu District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Rakesh Ranjan.
Rakesh Ranjan said, “The Under Trial Review Committee had before it 24 cases in its July 15 meeting. One case of enlargement on bail is pending”.
Central Jail Houses Large Number of Undertrials
The enlargement on bail is a continuous measure of keeping the jail decongested, apart from giving a fair chance to the under trials to shun all that sends them behind bars and to instil fear of the law of the land in them that keeps them in jail.
Rakesh Ranjan further said, “We have a Central Jail here in Daltonganj. On average 34 per cent of the inmates of this Central Jail are the bulk of the under-trials.”
He said the numerical strength of the Central Jail keeps fluctuating. There come offenders of petty crimes or offences which are compoundable.
Also Read- ED raids 18 locations in ₹500 crore medical supply scam in Chhattisgarh
There are 16 categories under which the under-trial review committee takes a call.
The committee has Principal District and Sessions Judge, Deputy Commissioner (DC), Superintendent of Police (SP), Jail Superintendent and DLSA Secretary.
BNSS Provisions and Committee Guidelines
DLSA Secretary pointed out that “Convicts do have a chance to come out of prison through the Under Trial Review Committee. It is in the event where a remission order is passed, but the convict is in jail despite serving his full term of punishment.”
Under Trial Review Committee takes a liberal view of under-trial prisoners who fail to furnish bail bonds.
DLSA Secretary has a word of caution when he referred to section 479 of the BNSS, saying “An offence for which the punishment of death or life imprisonment has been specified, such a case doesn’t come up in the Under Trial Review Committee.”
Further quoting section 479 of the BNSS, Rakesh Ranjan said, “An under-trial prisoner who has undergone detention for a period extending up to one half of the maximum period of imprisonment specified for that offence, shall be released by the Court on bail.”
It’s a bail, point to be remembered and not any acquittal, said the Court sources. The under-trial is to face the rigours of legal proceedings till its logical conclusion.
A first-time offender who has never been convicted of any offence in the past and is not of the offence where death or life imprisonment is specified, stands a good chance of being granted bail if recommended by the Under Trial Review Committee.
Also Read- Two terrorists killed in J&K’s Poonch
Caution Against Jumping Bail
Rakesh Ranjan said, “It’s seen that a person on bail jumps the bail, which is a blatant disregard of the Court. Such an act invites the legal wrath of the Court. The Court issues a permanent warrant called in public lingo as ‘Laal warrant’. Such a person who jumps bail is put behind bars to teach him a salutary lesson, but in due course of time, his case does come up before the Under Trial Review Committee.”
DLSA Secretary agreed that petty offences are committed and such offenders are put behind bars, adding to the occupancy of the space of the jail, making it a crowded place.
Recommendations of the Under Trial Review Committee helps shed the jail of its over-occupancy, said Court sources.
