The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Monday unanimously passed the Karnataka Prisons (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which seeks to extend jail term for inmates who are found using mobile phones or any other electronic gadgets of communication on the prison premises.
The amendment also enables longer incarceration, after completing time for the older offence, for those inmates who fail to surrender after the end of parole, said J.C. Madhuswamy, law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, who presented the Bill.
“It is considered necessary to amend the Karnataka Prisons Act, 1963, to curb the menace of parole-jumping and introduction or removal of any prohibited articles, into or from the prison and communication within prisons, which is required to create a good atmosphere within and outside its limits on the direction of the Karnataka High Court,” said the Minister.
According to the existing Act, prisoners using prohibited articles inside the jail are imposed imprisonment of six months and fine not exceeding Rs 200. The amendment proposes to introduce mobile phones or any instruments of communication under ‘prohibited articles’. Also, the prison term will be from three years, which may be extended up to five years, with fine.
The existing Act mentions that those let out on parole who fail to surrender, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term up to two years or fine, or both. Under the amended Act, this punishment will be three years, which may be extended up to five years.
“Besides, the person who has stood as surety to the prisoner will also be liable for punishment for a term not less than six months, which could be extended to one year with fine, if the latter fails to surrender,” the Minister said.
Fair compensation
The Assembly also passed the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development (Amendment) Bill, 2022, that seeks to ensure right to fair compensation for land losers who forfeit their properties for industrial areas. This is to avoid long drawn litigation over higher compensation sought by land losers, the Minister said.
