The members said the Bar President, Mian Abdul Qayoom, who is in his advanced age surviving on a single kidney, suffering from multiple chronic ailments which include diabetes, hypertension, severe nerve damage, 60 percent blockage in one of the arteries of heart, resulting in his frail immune system, “is more prone to become victim of deadly virus with minimal chances of his survival.”
Srinagar: The J&K High Court Bar Association Srinagar Friday urged the authorities to release all detenues and political prisoners lodged in and outside J&K including its president, Advocate Mian Qayoom, who is lodged in Central Jail Tihar, New Delhi.
The executive members of the Bar after holding a meeting through ‘teleconference’ urged the authorities to release all the detenues and political prisoners lodged in and outside J&K in light of the directions issued by the Supreme Court recently.
The SC in view of spread of coronavirus across the country recently asked the authorities concerned to constitute high-powered committee which would consider release of prisoners.
“Since the jails throughout India are mostly overcrowded, therefore, the Supreme Court noticed the potential threat to the lives of inmates, particularly those suffering from diabetes, hypertension and other life-threatening diseases, who have been found more susceptible to become victims of COVID-19,” the bar in a statement said.
The members said the Bar President, Mian Abdul Qayoom, who is in his advanced age surviving on a single kidney, suffering from multiple chronic ailments which include diabetes, hypertension, severe nerve damage, 60 percent blockage in one of the arteries of heart, resulting in his frail immune system, “is more prone to become victim of deadly virus with minimal chances of his survival.”
The members also stated that “at a time when the whole world has united to counter the deadly virus by maintaining social distance, it would be very prudent and appropriate for the authorities to release the detenues/undertrial political prisoners from jails, either permanently or on parole, in order to save them from contracting the deadly virus”.
Meanwhile, the bar members said the judgments reserved on some Habeas Corpus Petitions have not been announced till date, and requested the Chief Justice of J&K “to make necessary arrangements for announcement of those judgments.”
