MIR MOHAMMAD ALI Vs. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These two Public Interest Litigation cases may conveniently be disposed of by a common order as they involve same questions of fact and law. An Advocate, who is the President of A. P. Prison Reforms and Legal Aid Committee, filed W.P. No. 32039 of 1998. He prayed for a direction to the State government to appoint a High Level Commission headed by a sitting or retired High Court Judge, to visit and inspect all the prisons in the State and submit a report concerning the conditions of prisons and prisoners with suggestions as to remedial measures, and to direct the State Government to provide proper accommodation and sufficient vehicles and female police escort to transport female prisoners for the purpose of production in the trial Courts, and such other related prayers.

(2.) W. P. No. 6919 is 1999 is filed by a Journalist and Social Worker praying for a declaration that the action of the respondents viz., Government of Andhra Pradesh, Director General of Police, and the Inspector General of Prisons, in not producing the various Under Trial prisoners (UT prisoners for brevity), before the trial Courts as unconstitutional and for other appropriate directions.

(3.) In W.P. No. 6919 of 1999, the petitioner states that, as a journalist, he came to be interested in the UT prisoners, who remained lodged in prisons without being produced before the concerned Courts for want of police escort. The cases are being adjourned from time to time for non-production of the UT prisoners. Therefore, the petitioner addressed a letter to the 2nd respondent on 30-1-1999 to know the response of the respondents. The 2nd respondent by letter dated 10-2-1999 informed the petitioner that the State Level Review Committee for UT prisoners in its meeting held on 21-8-1998 proposed to create additional police force to perform the escort duty, and that the decision of the Government in that behalf is awaited, and that for want of police escort, the UT prisoners could not be produced before the Courts.