Wife will be able to meet husband alone in jail: Court gives permission on appeal related to increasing lineage, separate rooms for privacy

The bars of the jail will also become a witness to the increase of the dynasty. The jailed husband or wife will be able to meet their life partner in solitude. Do not be surprised, this initiative has been taken by the Punjab Government and the reason for this is some cases reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court this year.

The first case… In March 2022, a woman from Gurugram reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. His petition was different from other cases. The woman had sought permission from the jailed husband to have a physical relationship. The woman argued that she wanted to carry on her lineage from her jailed husband. The woman said that her husband was convicted of murder and other offences by the Gurugram court. Since 2018, he is lodged in the Central Jail in Bhondsi district.

Second case… Earlier on January 2022, a petition was filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in which the wife sought an appointment with her husband in a separate room. He referred to Article 21 of the Constitution, in which he has got this right.

Third case… Jasvir Singh had filed a petition saying that he has to carry forward his lineage. The wife should be allowed to stay with her in jail till she becomes pregnant. The High Court had rejected this demand.

Decision of the High Court… In the same Jasvir Singh Vs. Government of Punjab case, the High Court had asked Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh to form a Jail Reforms Committee and make a policy in this regard.

Facility provided in 4 jails of Punjab

After which the Punjab government took an important initiative. In the jail here, prisoners are being allowed to spend some time alone with their life partner. For this a separate room has been made in the jail. At present, this facility has been started in Indwal Sahib, Nabha, Ludhiana and Bathinda Women’s Jail. There is a preparation to start it in all the jails.

…but not the facility for gangsters and sex offenders

But this facility is not for every criminal right now. Notorious criminals, gangsters and prisoners serving sentences in cases related to sexual offenses will not get this facility. The jail official said that for this the prisoner first gives an application to the jail administration.

After the application is approved, prisoners of good conduct are allowed to stay with their spouses for two hours. For this, the jail administration has prepared separate rooms, which will also have separate double beds, tables and attached bathrooms.

Read what formalities have to be completed for this

medical before meeting

Before such a meeting, the Punjab government has also prepared a list of some rules. First of all there is a marriage certificate. For this, first you have to show the marriage certificate of being husband and wife. After this, the second largest certificate will be the medical certificate. In which there should be no HIV, sexually transmitted disease (STD), corona infection and any other such disease. After this, the jail administration will give two hours, on which the husband and wife will be able to spend time alone.

Gal-Wakdi program to meet family

Apart from husband and wife, the Punjab government has also started the Gal-Wakdi program to meet other family members. These facilities have been started in Amritsar in addition to the upper three jails and soon to be started in Ludhiana also. In which a prisoner can meet for an hour with five members of his family in a hall. Sitting together, they can eat, drink and even talk.

Know why felt the need for this meeting

Along with the prisoners in jail, their family also faces punishment outside. The wife, who is handling the house out of jail, has the right to progeny under human rights. Not only women, everyone has the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. In many countries outside India, jailed prisoners meet their spouses in a separate room. This facility is provided in many countries including America, Philippines, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Australia.

Jail officers hope, prisoners will improve

The senior official said that priority will be given to the prisoners present in the jail for a long time. The urge to meet a wife or family would compel the prisoners to change. The Jail Department hopes that with this initiative, family ties will be strengthened and the prisoners will also try to improve themselves. After this, prisons can actually turn into reform planets as well.

Prisoners did not have this facility earlier

In fact, in the year 2015, the High Court heard the petition of the husband and wife, who were facing death sentence and life imprisonment in the case of ransom and then brutally killing a minor. After which the court had directed the government to constitute a Jail Reforms Committee to establish matrimonial relations and arrange family visits for the prisoners in the jail.