Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra visited the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi on Friday to get a first-hand account of the situation there, in light of a public interest litigation concerning the prison.
He was accompanied by High Court Registrar General Muhammad Shakir and High Court Legal Services Committee Secretary Santosh Kumar during the visit.
“The visit was planned as a case is pending before the bench headed by the chief justice and he wanted to see things himself before deciding the matter,” Shakir said.
During his one-hour visit to the jail, Chief Justice Mishra interacted with prisoners and enquired about their well-being.
He visited the wards and cells to get a first-hand account of hygiene and sanitation levels, besides inspecting the standard of food prepared for the inmates.
The chief justice also interacted with jail officials and enquired about the treatment of inmates to help them return to normal life after their release.
The facilities of legal aid being provided to inmates were also discussed by him with the prison officials, Shakir said.
Home Secretary Avinash Kumar, Inspection General of Police (Jail) Umashankar and Birsa Munda Central Jail superintendent Hamid Akhtar were also present during the visit of the chief justice.
