Custodial Torture: Supreme Court directs States, UTs to file reply to Prevention of Torture Bill

In a plea seeking a standalone legislation for curbing instances of custodial torture and violence against prisoners, the Supreme Court today directed the States and Union territories to send their replies and inputs on the Prevention of Torture Bill, 2017 within three weeks..In a petition filed by former Union Minister Dr. Ashwini Kumar, Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Central government, told the Court that the Bill was referred to all the States and Union Territories for their inputs and replies. However, only a total of eight States/Union Territories have responded, and reply from the other States is awaited, he submitted..Inputs and replies have been received from Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, and Chandigarh..Centre’s affidavit points out that the reply from the States and Union Territories was sought in February 2018 and subsequent reminders for the same were sent in June, November, and December of 2018..Another communication to remind the States and Union Territories to send their inputs and replies was sent on January 21, 2019, the Centre’s affidavit states..After considering the submissions made by the Attorney General and the Petitioner, the Bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justices L Nageswara Rao and Sanjiv Khanna directed the States and Union Territories that have not yet responded, to send their replies within three weeks..Once, the replies have been received on or before February 11, the Centre is to file a status report regarding the steps intended to be taken and the time frame within which the process will be completed..The Court has directed the Chief Secretaries of the States and Union Territories to be present personally on the next date of hearing “in the event there is any failure to comply with the directions contained in today’s order.”.The Court will hear the matter next on February 13..Read the Order: