Authorities have distributed smart cards to nearly 650 inmates of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar prison to help them stay in touch with their family members and lawyers
Representational Pic/File
The authorities have distributed smart cards to nearly 650 inmates from the Harsul Central Jail in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city to help them stay in touch with their family members and lawyers, an official said on Wednesday, the PTI reported on Wednesday.
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According to the PTI, the smart cards will allow the inmates to make three free calls, each for six minutes, a week, a district official said in a release.
"Many families cannot come to meet their prisoner relatives in jail due to financial conditions. Therefore, to connect the prisoners with their families (and lawyers), smart cards have been provided to 650 prisoners at Harsul jail," the release said, as per the PTI.
However, the release did not specify if the inmates can call only those numbers shared in advance with the jail authorities or any number they choose.
The facility 'calling booth' has been made available on the prison premises for the prisoners as well as those under judicial custody, it said, the PTI reported.
The Harsul correctional set-up is one of the nine central jails in Maharashtra.
Court directs jail authorities to upload chargesheet of Delhi Jal Board money laundering case on computers accessible by inmates
Meanwhile, the Rouse Avenue Court has directed the jail authorities to upload the chargesheet and documents of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) money laundering case on computers accessible by inmates, the ANI reported on Wednesday.
This direction has been passed on the application of former DJB chief engineer Jagdish Kumar Arora who is chargesheeted and under judicial custody in this case.
Special judge Bhupinder Singh directed the concerned jail authorities to upload the charge sheet and documents on the computer so that accused Arora can have access to such documents, as per the ANI.
"On the premise that facility of having access to PC (Personal Computer) given to inmates, the concerned jail superintendent, is directed to get uploaded the charge sheet and RUDs (Relied Upon documents) of the instant case that shall be provided to him by parokar of the accusedand consequently, the accused may have access to such documents during the time that is permitted for accessing such PCs during judicial custody," special judge said in the order of April 15, the news agency reported.
The court passed the order after hearing submissions made by counsel for accused and Enforcement Directorate.
Arora had moved an application through advocate Yash Kadyan seeking permission to retain a flash drive containing charge sheet and documents so that he may access those documents in judicial custody.
It was also submitted that the chargesheet and documents filed by the ED runs into thousand of pages and cannot be transported to the accused who is in judicial custody.
ED's special public prosecutor (SPP) Manish Jain, opposed the plea and submitted that the accused, Jagdish Arora, had been provided a hard copy of charge sheet and documents.
The jail authorities also submitted that such electronic device falls under the prohibited category and cannot be accessed.
The court was also informed that the inmates have access to PCs in judicial custody. Thereafter, the court passed the direction to jail authorities.
The ED has filed a charge sheet against four accused and one firm, namely NKG Infrastructure Ltd, the news agency reported on Wednesday.
(with PTI and ANI inputs)
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