Mehbooba urges Indian judiciary to take cognisance of Kashmiri detainees’ plight lodged in Indian jails
Calls for comprehensive reforms in criminal justice system
Jammu: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti has urged the Indian judiciary to take cognisance of the plight of Jammu and Kashmir prisoners lodged in jails outside the territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Mehbooba Mufti speaking to reporters outside the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in Jammu called for comprehensive reforms in the criminal justice system to ensure justice, transparency, and humanity.
She said “The issue of prisoners is not political; it is about justice, humanity, and compassion. These young men are our children, the sons of this soil. They deserve dignity, a fair trial, and a chance to rebuild their lives.”
Highlighting the hardships faced by families, she said many lack the means to travel long distances to meet their kin. “Trials are delayed, hearings are held in their absence, and justice remains out of reach. This is not the idea of justice,” she added.
Mehbooba urged the Chief Justice to initiate reforms, including ensuring local lodgement of prisoners, speedy and transparent trials, and upholding the principle of ‘bail, not jail’. She also called for the proper implementation of parole, furlough, and remission rights, as well as for treating medical bail as a constitutional safeguard rather than a favour.
“Prisons must reform lives, not destroy them,” she said, adding that the focus should be on humane treatment and rehabilitation rather than prolonged incarceration.
