[ Karda Natam ]
DAPORIJO, 14 Sep: The Upper Subansiri District Bar Association (USDBA) has appealed to the state government to establish a sessions court in the district headquarters here at the earliest, saying that ferrying undertrial prisoners (UTP) from the jail here to the court in Basar in Leparada district for hearing, covering a distance of 125 kms, involves a lot of risks and problems.
Apart from the cost involved in hiring additional private vehicles by the authority to bring the UTPs to the court, ferrying them (UTPs) in ordinary vehicles other than a prisoners’ van involves great risks, said USDBA president Kolin Lusi Sorum (Tamin).
The witnesses, litigants, lawyers and police personnel too have to travel to Basar along with the accused persons to attend hearings, and for other official purposes, at the additional sessions court there, the USDBA president said.
“On many occasions, they cannot even attend the court due to various reasons, including monetary problems and temporary closure of road, especially during monsoon,” Sorum said.
The association also said that around Rs 14 lakhs to Rs 18 lakhs is incurred every year only as transportation cost of the UTPs.
Establishment of a sessions court here is a long-pending demand of the USDBA and the people of the district.
The USDBA said that numerous memorandums in this regard have been submitted to the higher authority, including the four legislators of the district, but to no avail.
It appealed to the state government to establish a sessions court in Daporijo and appoint judicial officers without any further delay.
On 24 June, 2020, the ex-officio jail superintendent had also apprised the state’s law & justice secretary of the various problems faced due to the lack of a sessions court in the district.
“The risks involved with the UTPs during their transportation and the cost involved in ferrying them were also apprised to the secretary,” the USDBA said.
On 19 March this year, the West Siang district & sessions judge also recommended to the deputy registrar (administration) of the Itanagar permanent bench of the Gauhati High Court to establish a sessions court in Upper Subansiri district, considering the large number of cases.
Currently, there are a total of 516 cases of various natures, including criminal and civil cases, in Upper Subansiri district. Of them, 56 sessions cases are pending at the court in Basar, the sessions judge informed.
