Explain sops to Ramesh Kadam in jail: Bombay High Court
The public prosecutor said that there was lack of space and hence, Kadam had been kept with other prisoners.
Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Monday asked prison authorities to explain how former MLA Ramesh Kadam was allowed to carry on his activities inside jail and why no action was taken against him for causing problems among jail inmates. The court also asked prison authorities to file an affidavit enumerating the steps taken to install bathrooms in women’s jails since its previous order.
A division bench of justices A.S. Oka and Riyaz Chagla was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Jan Adalat, a legal aid organisation, highlighting poor living conditions for women prisoners. The petitioner through advocate Uday Warunjikar also drew the court’s attention to an inspection report filed by a retired judge who visited Byculla jail. The report pointed out various shortcomings and lapses on the part of jail authorities that allowed Kadam to create a group of petty criminals awaiting trial.
Responding to objections of the petitioner, the public prosecutor said that with regard to the women’s jail in Byculla, 23 bathrooms had been constructed but when the court insisted that the statement be placed on record, he said that Rs 20 crore had been sanctioned for constructing bathrooms.
After hearing the submissions, the court said, “You are telling us about norms but is there any official who has applied his/her mind to how this can be done and bathrooms constructed. We want you to file an affidavit in this regard.”
Referring to the judge’s report, the court asked prison authorities as to why Kadam was kept with petty criminals and how he was allowed to carry on his activities from there.
To this, the public prosecutor said that there was lack of space and hence, Kadam had been kept with other prisoners. Chiding jail authorities for such an excuse, justice Oka said, “Do you expect the court to tell you how to run a prison. Though the sessions court has not given specific orders, why are prison authorities not doing anything to curb Kadam’s activities. If you say you have no power to transfer Kadam to another jail, put it on oath and we will then pass appropriate orders.”