The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought information from Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh about those foreign prisoners whose sentences have been completed and who are still lodged in jail.

This directive was issued during a hearing addressing concerns regarding the human rights of foreign detainees.

During the previous hearing, the High Court sought responses from Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh regarding the formulation of a policy enabling foreign prisoners to have monthly access to calling or video calling their relatives. Pursuant to the court's directives, both states raised concerns regarding the financial responsibilities for such calls and associated fees, prompting further deliberation.

The court emphasized to both states that they need to reconsider this aspect, as foreign nationals in jail may not have the financial means to cover such expenses. Referring to the affidavit submitted by Haryana Jail Inspector General Jagjit Singh, the division bench noted that the situation regarding this matter is comparatively more favorable in Haryana than in Punjab.

A video conferencing system for prisoners has been installed in 20 jails across Haryana, facilitated by a five-year MoU signed with a service provider in 2022. Deputy Inspector General (Prisons) Surinder Singh, representing Punjab, submitted an affidavit stating that a letter was sent to the Secretary of the Prisons Department of Punjab seeking approval to implement ISD facility in jails.

The Court said that better affidavits should be filed by Punjab, Haryana, and Union Territory Chandigarh regarding the apprehensions expressed by us.

Acting Chief Justice of the High Court, Justice GS Sandhawalia, was on a visit to Ludhiana Central Jail recently.

Amidst these developments, authorities discovered a Kenyan citizen in detention who revealed that he had been unable to communicate with his relatives since his arrest.

Justice Sandhawalia mentioned the gravity of the situation and deemed it fit to treat the matter as a public interest litigation, signaling a proactive approach to address the issue.

The High Court emphasized that foreign nationals in jails also possess fundamental human rights, including the right to maintain contact with their relatives. In light of this, there is a pressing need for a system that ensures they are afforded this opportunity, ideally on a monthly basis.