Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Wednesday asked the attorney general to talk to authorities concerned so that health safety rules are properly followed, while arresting people for violating ongoing lockdown, taking them to police stations and producing them in the lower courts.
The attorney general told the High Court that he will talk to the concerned persons including the police commissioner regarding this issue.
Addressing the attorney general HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim said, “Around 400 to 5,000 people are arrested and punished for breaking lockdown every day. Thirty to 50 of them are carried by a prison van to the police station or court. Health safety rules are breached amid such crowds. This issue needs to be addressed.”
Justice M Enayetur Rahim also asked the attorney general to talk to the registrar general of the Supreme Court so that necessary steps are taken to follow the health safety rules when the arrested men are produced in the courts across the country.
The bench said this as Supreme Court lawyer Md Asad Uddin brought the issue before the judge and prayed for a Suo Moto (voluntary) directive to this effect.
In the hearing, Asad Uddin told the High Court that arrested people could be produced in the magistrate courts through virtual process keeping them in the police stations.
The lawyer also said hundreds of people are being arrested everyday during the lockdown. A total of 3065 people were arrested in last six days (till July 6). They were taken to courts for production by overcrowded prison vans where health safety rules had been violated.
Then the deputy attorney general Samarendra Nath Biswas said police have a legal obligation to produce the arrested men and women before a magistrate within 24 hours.
In reply, Asad Uddin said that could be done through virtual process. Then the judge wanted to hear the submission of the attorney general.
The attorney general then told the High Court that he will talk to the concerned persons including the police commissioner regarding this issue.
