After the inmates of prison it is ‘Hajat’ (temporary detention centre) and prisoners’ van on the watch of the judiciary here in Daltonganj.
Acting principal district & sessions judge (PDJ) Palamu Pankaj Kumar 2 said, “We are concentrating on Hajat and prisoners’ van too at this time when one talks about coronavirus everywhere.”
Kumar said, “Today I called in Hajat Incharge and inquired about the condition of the Hajat prevailing there.
I have given Hajat Incharge strict instructions that Hajat for the accused who are brought from the prison for appearances in the courts be neat and clean so as not to pose any problem to the health of the accused at all.”
He further said, “I would be inspecting Hajat too but let me see first how its Incharge respond and act to the instructions given to him.”
Kumar said, “My proactive role here is being seen by some people as too stepping out of mine but what I need and feel is that there must be health friendly environment in the court premise also in times like this.”
When told that prisoners’ van need to be disinfected PDJ Kumar said, “Let me see what best can be done.” Accused from Central Prison Daltonganj are ferried up and down from prison to court’s Hajat and back and the prisoners’ van reminds one of any van of the ancient time.
Here sit the accused and the security personnel. Their sitting is cheek by jowl. One source said the inside condition of the prisoners’ van leaves much to be desired.
PDJ Kumar said on March 18 the district judiciary is all set to launch a medical screening camp in the civil court building for which PDJ added one room with attached bath room, patient’s examining table , patient’s tool, chair, table light etc have been set and civil surgeon John F Kennedy is to send doctor here for the check up which is all free.
A lawyer begging anonymity said, “If you want to see the congested sitting then visit our lawyers’ sitting places where the arm of one lawyer’s chair rubs the arm of the other lawyer’s chair. If a lawyer stretches his leg it is bound to hit the next one sitting opposite to him”.
He said the lawyers’ sitting places except the second floor sitting place here in Daltonganj are dark and crowded where clients and others too make a beeline for legal consultation and briefing. Lawyers’ tables speak of primitivism said this lawyer.
SP Palamu Ajay Linda too has given directives to his police officials to keep lock ups in police stations neat and clean.
Linda said as accused are kept there the lock ups need to be all Ok from health point of view. Officer in charge of Chainpur police station Sunit Kumar said “ I have got our lock up here cleaned.”
SDPO Sandip Kumar Gupta said, “Police have been asked to be more active in sending accused in judicial remand with less time of lodging the accused in the police station’s lock up.”
An accused can be kept for 24 hours from the time of his arrest/ detention by the police but sources said the police are working to send up the accused in judicial remand as early and as fast as possible.