Assam Govt Supports 22 Poor Prisoners as Gauhati HC Reviews ‘Support to Poor Prisoners’ Scheme

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court recently reviewed the status of poor prisoners who are languishing in different jails in Assam due to their inability to pay the bail or surety amounts.

A division bench of Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury was hearing the matter (PIL/58/2025) filed by a non-profit organisation.

Responding to the court’s earlier order, a list of 81 prisoners was submitted by the Additional Advocate General, who were identified under the “Support to Poor Prisoners Scheme”. The scheme provides financial help to poor prisoners recommended by District Level Empowered Committees.

The list indicates that 6 out of 81 prisoners identified have been convicted, but funds have already been remitted in their bank accounts. They are Ananda Barman, lodged in District Jail, Udalguri; Jitu Hembrom and Mukha Basumatary, lodged in District Jail, Kokrajhar; and British Hajong and Rakesh Rai, lodged in Abhayapuri jail. Another convicted person who has received the fund is Dhruba Das, lodged in Central Jail, Jorhat.

Moreover, 16 out of the 81 prisoners listed were granted bail, and money was transferred to their bank accounts under the aforementioned scheme; however, the District & Sessions Judge returned the bail amount because no family members of those individuals came to receive the undertrial prisoners. They are Ajay Bakti, Pawan Murmu, Bhaskar Gogoi and Nitul Gogoi, lodged in District Jail, Sonari; Bablu Das, Kalu Maibongsa and Kiron Mech, lodged in District Jail, Diphu; Bablu Nayak, Arjun Nayak, Debu Narayan Shah, Sanjib Chawtal, Tosh Lakra and Santosh Ghatowar, lodged in District Jail, Tinsukia; Sofiur Rehman, lodged in District Jail, Dhubri; and Maxxpil K. Marak and Sahedor Ali, lodged in Central Jail, Guwahati.

The Additional Advocate General informed the court that some prisoners could not be paid due to lack of funds. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs released Rs. 8,50,000 to Assam on August 7, 2026. The state assured the court that the remaining funds would be transferred after re-verification.

The court directed the Advocate for the Assam State Legal Services Authority to coordinate with para-legal volunteers to ensure the release of the 16 undertrial prisoners and to file a report on the outcome of her efforts to convince the family members of those undertrial prisoners to take steps for their release from jail. The advocate was also directed to ensure the prisoners appear for trial.

The court has listed the matter for the next hearing on November 18, 2026. By that time, the Additional Advocate General, Assam, was also directed to file the current status of the prisoners languishing in jails.

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