Undertrials want an end to lawyers strike

BANGALORE: The ongoing tussle between advocates, journalists and police has not only hit the proceedings at various courts, some of the undertrials lodged in the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison too are eagerly awaiting an early end to the row, as their cases, especially bail applications, are not coming up in courts.In many of the cases, the accused should appear before the courts. But due to the problem, prohibitory orders have been clamped at various courts till Thursday midnight, and the City Armed Reserve (CAR) police have been deployed there.This has resulted in a shortage of staff to escort undertrials from the jail to the courts.A prison official said CAR personnel were authorised to take undertrials to courts and hospitals. “Since Friday, no undertrial has been sent to courts as there is no policemen to escort them. The CAR has said it will not be in a position to provide personnel to escort inmates to courts till March 8. However, CAR policemen are being provided to take the prisoners to hospitals,” he added.He said the advocates representing undertrials were taking adjournments now. “Though it would not have much impact on those whose cases are tried in the courts, the undertrials who want to file bail petitions are facing its effect,” he said.As they are not in a position to appear before courts, they have to languish in jail further when they have chances of getting bail in some cases,he added.Chief Superintendent of the prison Lakshminarayan admitted the problem, but maintained that it did not have much impact on the undertrials.