National
Delhi HC seeks government response on plea for semi-open/open prison for women
New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Monday sought response from the city government and Director General of Prisons while hearing a plea challenging the guidelines that deprive women convicts from the benefit of treatment of a semi-open or open prison.
A division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal also sought response from Lt. Governor on the plea seeking setting up of special semi-open and open prisons for women convicts in Delhi prisons in a time-bound manner.
Semi-open and open prison allows convicts to work outside the premises of jail and earn livelihood and return to the jail in the evening. The convicted prisoner whose behavior is assessed to be very good, are kept in such an environment where they can easily reconnect with society and make better efforts for rehabilitation.
The petition filed by Sunil Kumar Gupta, former legal adviser of Tihar Jail, questioned the guidelines dated issued in 2012 and then in 2014 which “arbitrarily exclude female convicts from the benefit of treatment of semi-open and open prisons”.
“These guidelines violate fundamental right of equality under Article 14 of the Constitution of India of women prisoners confined in Delhi Jails.”
Advocate Amit Khemka said that a bare reading of the guidelines clearly demonstrates the fallacy as it treats ‘women convicts’ as being in the same category as that of ‘dangerous or habitual male prisoners’.
Yerwada Jail in Maharashtra and Rajasthan government have extended the benefit of semi-open and open prisons to its women prisoners, said the plea, adding: “It is obnoxious that on the one hand, Delhi Prisons claim to be trend setters of reforms all over the country while on the other hand, the women prisoners are being discriminated in the matter of facilities provided to jail inmates.”
As per the data published in Prisons Statistics India for the year 2015, there are about 579 women prisoners in Delhi. There are about 63 open prisons housing 5,370 prisoners in India.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.