NALSA Files PIL In Supreme Court For Release Of Elderly & Terminally Ill Prisoners

The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) filed a Public Interest Litigation before the Supreme Court, seeking urgent intervention for the release of elderly and terminally ill convicted prisoners across the country. 

The petition highlights the dire conditions faced by such prisoners and calls for the implementation of compassionate release of the identified prisoners in line with constitutional and human rights obligations.

The petition underscores the alarming rise in the number of elderly and infirm prisoners languishing in prisons, often without adequate medical care or access to dignified living conditions. It argues that the prolonged incarceration of such individuals violates their fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution as well as international human rights principles recognized by the United Nations.