Srinagar: Barely a week after the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, during his Indian Independence Day speech, claimed not more than 100 persons were in jails, the state government on Monday admitted that it had lodged 2364 persons in different prisons of the state. Government Monday said that the cases of prisoners detained under the Public Safety Act were regularly reviewed as per the provisions of the PSA ACT 1978.
To a question posed in the state assembly on Monday, the written reply from the Jammu and Kashmir Home Minister reveals that 2364 persons are languishing in different jails and sub jails. It said that only 12 persons have been lodged in outside state jails. Out of 2364 prisoners, according to Ministry for Home 354 are convicts while the number of under trials stands at 1934.
The government has further revealed that out of 76 persons detained under Public Safety Act, 51 among them are foreigners. Out of 1934 cases of under trial prisoners the government has said that the challan had been produced against 1834 cases.
Replying to the query raised by CPI (M) State General Secretary Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami , the government stated that as per the Jammu and Kashmir public Safety (Amendment) Act 2012, the period of detention in case of persons acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of Public Order is three months and in case of persons acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the State is six months.
The chief minister, while taking a jibe at the separatists for their protests against the random arrests and prison situations, had said during his August 15 speech that the figures were being inflated while commenting over certain issues. “I must tell you that not more than 100 people are in jails and you can visit prisons to verify that.”
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