157 inmates released from K’para jail

KENDRAPARA: A record number of 157 inmates were released on bail from Kendrapara sub-jail on the first day of camp court held on the jail premises on Monday. The District Judge and other judicial officers, along with their staff, heard the bail pleas of inmates and released them accordingly.

The camp court was held in the jail as per the direction of Orissa High Court. The HC had instructed District and Sessions Judges to hold camp courts for hearing bail pleas of accused in custody to address over-crowding of various jails across the State following the indefinite stir by lawyers.As a precautionary measure, security has been tightened in the jail and its nearby areas where several relatives of inmates had gathered.

A large number of inmates are languishing in the jail as lawyers are on strike from August 29 protesting the assault on a colleague by a police official in Cuttack. As the strike had paralysed court works, Kendrapara sub-jail was packed with 459 under-trial prisoners (UTPs) against the capacity for 192 inmates. Even after the release, the jail is still overcrowded with 302 inmates. “Prior to the lawyers’ strike , 238 inmates were in the jail,” said Jailor Saroj Biswal.

On being released, inmates and their inmates expressed their happiness. “I had been languishing in the jail from September 20. The court granted me bail and I did not have to spend a single pie for this”, said Raghunath Sahoo of Pattamundai.

Additional Public Prosecutor of Kendrapara Court, Sanjay Jena said “Each day around 20 to 30 bail applications are disposed of in five courts of the district. Around 400 bail petitions are currently pending in the courts due to the strike. In some petty cases, police are releasing the accused on personal bond (PR) from police stations”.

Berhampur: As per the direction of Orissa High Court, Ganjam District and Sessions Judge Bibhu Prasad Routroy issued instructions to all the judicial courts under his jurisdiction to hold camp courts in jails. Accordingly, a camp court was held on the premises of Circle Jail in the city. JMFC Purusottampur held the camp. Four bail pleas were approved by the judge.

Courts closed
Talcher: All the courts at Talcher were closed on Monday due to cease work by lawyers. At 10 am, the striking lawyers locked the gates of the court and appealed judges not to attend camp court. Hundreds of advocates of Talcher Bar Association also held demonstrations and meetings supporting the ongoing strike called by High Court Bar Association. Daya Sagar Mishra, president of Talcher Bar Association said “We stand for the unity of lawyers. There is an attempt by a political party to  foil the ongoing strike by advocates across the State. The lawyers here went on cease work strike on Monday by supporting the HC Bar Association”.