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Journalism of Courage
The Bombay High Court came down heavily on the Superintendent of Thane Central Jail for not following an order passed by it directing the release of a man awarded 30 years imprisonment by a Mauritius court in a drugs case.
A division bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and Gautam Patel had earlier this month ordered that Prem Kishore Raj be released after observing that he can only be sentenced to 10 years as he possessed a small quantity of the contraband.
On Monday,Rajs lawyer Gayatri Singh and Kranti LC told the court that despite being given a copy of the HC order,the Superintendent of Thane prison where Raj is lodged,refused to release him.
The bench observed that the superintendent should not have entertained any doubts about the order passed by the court allowing Rajs petition and directing the respondents to forthwith release him.
We would take a very serious view if the superintendent,even after our order passed,does not act in terms of the judgment. All authorities,including the Superintendent Thane Central Prison,are directed to act as per the order, the court observed.
The court was informed on Tuesday that Raj has been released from jail.
In May 1996,Raj was arrested by Mauritius police and found guilty a year later by a court there for possession of 371.3 gram of heroin and sentenced to 30 years in jail which was later reduced to 23 years.
In 2008,as per agreement between India and Mauritius,Raj was repatriated to India. Once here,Raj sought to be released under the Indian law.
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