Summary:
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the prison authority whether the number of 'mulaqats' of prisoners with their family and lawyers can be increased to four per month instead of the current number of three and to explore feasibility of holding physical meetings instead of only virtual. Justice Prathiba M Singh also asked the Director General (DG) of Prisons whether physical mulaqats (visits/meetings) can be held inside the jail premises by following social distancing measures and use of protective gear as the prevalent practice of virtual meetings was not feasible for everyone. The court said that family members of each and every prisoner may not have access to the kind of gadgets and internet connection required for virtual meetings and therefore, the feasibility of conducting physical mulaqats be explored. It also asked the DG Prisons to consider providing more computers with internet connection in the legal aid room of the jail, so that legal aid lawyers can help prisoners to find out their case status and also draft pleas. The queries were posed to the DG Prisons as these issues were raised before the court by two JNU students — Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita — who are also Pinjra Tod activists and presently in jail in connection with the communal riots in north-east Delhi..