The Hindu : Move to prevent escape of `dangerous' prisoners

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 26, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

Move to prevent escape of `dangerous' prisoners

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI March 25. Wiser by the recent escape of Jihad Committee militants, the Tamil Nadu Government has invoked the powers under the Criminal Procedure Code to obviate the need for moving 74 ``dangerous'' prisoners from the jails where they are lodged in.

Following the Government order, issued under Sec. 268 of the Cr. PC, the 74 persons involved in terrorist and extremist activities cannot be moved out of the prison without the Government's permission.

This, it is hoped, would prevent the repeat of incidents in which Imam Ali and Hyder Ali, escaped recently. While Hyder Ali was later apprehended, Imam Ali is still at large.

The Government is also planning to introduce a Bill in the Assembly session to amend 167 (ii) (b) of the Cr. PC, which states that no magistrate shall authorise detention in any custody under this section unless the accused is produced before him. The Amendment would enable the extension of custody of under-trials through video conferencing.

The Government had already announced extension of such video conferencing to all central prisons in the State.

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Southern States