New Delhi: The Supreme Court today said the
Indian judiciary appears to be stronger and more liberal than
its Pakistani counterpart vis-a-vis release of inter-country
prisoners.
"The judiciary is very strong in India rather than in
that country. Please inform their High Commission that we
(Indian courts) are releasing so many of their prisoners,"
Justice Markandeya Katju, heading the Bench which included
Justice T S Thakur, observed.
The Supreme Court had during the past two years ordered
the release of over two dozen Pakistani prisoners from Indian
jails despite completing their sentence.
The apex court passed the direction while granting eight
weeks to the Centre to explain the position on the alleged
incarceration of Indian prisioner Gopal Dass languishing in a
Pakistani jail for the past 26 years.
Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium told the Bench that
the Centre had gained consular access and was in the process
of verifying the claim that Dass was languishing in jail even
though he had completed the sentence.
The family of Dass, through counsel Arvind Sharma, had
sought directions to the Centre to secure his release and
complained that government was not taking any step to bring
him back despite Pakistan government`s decision to free him.
-PTI
