Srinagar: Foreign militants who have
completed their jail terms for various offences should be
repatriated to their countries of origin, the State Human
Rights Commission has said and asked the Jammu and Kashmir
government to take up the issue with the Centre.
The recommendations to this effect has been made by the
Chairman of the Commission Justice (Retd) Syed Bashiruddin
after conducting an on-the-spot assessment of the Kot Balwal
jail in Jammu last month, SHRC sources said today.
There are 72 foreign nationals held in the jail, of whom
13 are convicts, nine are undertrials and 50 booked under the
Public Safety Act.
"Many of inmates said they had either served the awarded
sentences or completed their detention period. One of them
stated that he had been in jail for the past 15 years," the
Chairman of the Commission said in his report.
"Inmates who have served their term and against whom no
cases are pending cannot be held indefinitely," he said adding
"cases of such detainees have to be taken up with the Centre
so that they are repatriated to their countries of origin".
He said the government should in all "seriousness"
initiate and expedite the process of repatriation.
The SHRC chairman said the detainees complained that they
were not being provided transportation facilities to face
trials in Reasi, Ramban, Poonch, Rajouri, Doda and Kishtwar.
"Thereby they are not able to appear before the courts on the
fixed dates. The proceedings get delayed ultimately leading to
inordinate delay in disposal of cases," he said.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 16:17